And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
by weshallflyaway
Summary: "It is his wishful thinking that her skin felt warm to the touch under his lips, just as it is his imagination that had him hearing her voice in his ears, a wistful lilt." Beth Greene survives, but there is a long road to walk before she can find her family again.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

When he thinks of her it will be with a halo, the rising sun shining from behind her, blonde tendrils framing her face.

He won't think of the back of her head covered with blood - so much blood - no, he won't remember her like that.

When he thinks of her, it will be of her laughing and light in his arms, hands wound around his neck as he carried her to the table.

He won't think of the last time he carried her - the last time he would ever carry her - her body limp, arms hanging at her sides, heavy, oh so heavy in his arms.

He might not choose to think on her that way, but he knows the images will stay with him anyway, biding their time, waiting for the moment he closes his eyes.

He'll be sleeping even less from here on in, waiting until he's too exhausted to remember his dreams.

They'd laid her out in the church, just in front of the table that served as an alter - no dark, damp ground for her. Let her bring something holy to these four walls that they'd defiled, a touch of God and goodness. He'd placed some wild flowers, weeds really, between her clasped hands, **something** pretty for her to take with her. He hadn't looked at the others as he placed them, hadn't wanted to see the expressions on their faces or answer their questions. Daryl had waited until they were all gone, a weeping Maggie half dragged out by Glenn, before he had said his own goodbye - leaning down to place a kiss upon her brow, the only one he would ever give her.

"Keep singin', Beth, sing us on our way from up above," he had whispered in her ear just before leaving her.

It is his wishful thinking that her skin felt warm to the touch under his lips, just as it is his imagination that had him hearing her voice in his ears, a wistful lilt.

He nails the door shut after them, a larger coffin than most but a coffin none the less. Let nobody disturb her rest, let him do that for her at least.

And then they're on their way, Maggie's sobs quieter now out of necessity, Beth's clear voice still ringing in his ears.

/

_A/N: Another take on the Team Delusional theories, and something to get me through until we know one way or another for certain. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

When her eyes open, the first things she sees are a slanted roof, and a cross looming above her.

It is dark, wherever she is, a small amount of light filtering in through stained glass windows. Beth can't help thinking that heaven isn't all her Daddy promised her, isn't at all like she used to imagine it from her Sunday school lessons.

But who's to say that this is heaven at all, that she's gotten there, after all that she's done? She can't believe that she would be condemned to hell for her sins, but she's taken lives and taken them knowingly. Maybe this is her own version of Purgatory, an old boarded up church, where she can think on all she's done until her penance is completed.

Because Beth must be dead, she has to be, she remembers stabbing Dawn and then - nothing. Why did she do it? That one stupid, impetuous moment when Beth had sworn that she wouldn't let Dawn ruin someone else's life, when she'd sworn that she would stand up for what was right rather than take it lying down.

But at what cost? She'd heard from Carol before the exchange about the miracle that was her family's reunion. She'll never see her sister again now, never get to see Judith- that precious, beautiful baby girl - and Daryl... how many moments did she have with him before she died? Too few to even hold in her hand. She had wanted to hug him to her the moment she saw him again - alive and well and a burning purpose in his eyes as he kept them fixed upon her. She'd wanted to hold him to her and never let him go. She had thought there would be time for that.

But she made that choice, and she is dead, and all that might have been must remain undone.

She will regret it for the rest of her... But she's dead after all, isn't she? So Beth supposes she will regret her choice for the rest of her afterlife, a very long time indeed.

Her head aches, the worst pain she's ever felt in her life, and bright spots appear before her eyes despite the gloom as she tries to focus on the features around her. Beth forces herself to roll over and push herself into a sitting position with one hand, a wilted bunch of flowers falling to the floor as she does so.

She has been lying in front of the alter, almost like a sacrificial offering, and as Beth's vision clears she raises herself to see the words written on the top of the alter in black marker.

'Beloved daughter, sister and friend - Beth Greene. Rest in Peace.'

It's then that she gets it.

This is no afterlife - no purgatory, heaven or hell. This is her life - interrupted, continued. She wonders how close to death she was for her family to assume that she had left them behind. Where did Dawn shoot her, and how is it that she survived?

Bringing a hand up to her head she gingerly feels first the front and then the back, grimacing at the small hole that she finds, the sudden shooting pain as she probes it that almost causes her to black out. She will need to bind it and pray it doesn't become infected, there is no way she can stitch her own head.

Her family left her here, a nicer tomb than most, a funeral conducted for her before they left. Her heart clenches as she thinks about what they must have felt - Maggie will now believe her last family member to be dead and Daryl... Carol had said he had searched for her with singleminded purpose, and now he believes that he has lost her again, this time forever.

Through the haze in her mind, Beth is not sure whether she should laugh or cry. She's alive, but everyone that she loves believes her to be dead. She has been laid out here to rest in peace, but it seems that there is to be no rest for her, not if she wishes to find them again. How long has it been since they left her here, how far away are they from her now?

She half stumbles, half crawls towards the doors, wanting to know where she is and to take stock of her surroundings, but when she tries to open them she finds that they have been nailed shut.

Hysterical laughter bubbles up inside her at a sudden thought. On the third day she rose... But there is nobody here to roll back the stone from her tomb.

Beth thinks that it would be a terrible irony if she was to survive a gunshot wound to the head only to die of thirst and starvation because she can't escape from an old church.

She is weak, and the pain is overwhelming, but Beth is not going to give up, not when she's been given this impossible second chance. She's a survivor, she's made it when she shouldn't have, again and again and this time won't be any different.

In the small office at the back of the church she finds a can of peaches under the desk, rolled towards the back. It must have been forgotten there, and Beth offers a prayer of thanks that something has been left for her, however inadvertently. She bashes the lid with a stapler until it gives way, making herself eat only half the can, saving the rest for the next day. She is alone here - with no food, no water, no weapon. As much as she knows her survival is a miracle she wonders exactly how long it can last in such conditions.

Although she would like to follow her family immediately, she knows she's in no condition to do so. She needs to rest and regain her strength, gather resources and make a plan.

But all of that will need to wait for tomorrow, because even through the boarded up windows she can tell that the shadows are lengthening outside.

Instead she explores her tomb, the church as once was.

There are floorboards pried up in the office, a route to the outside at least and an unobtrusive one at that. In one of the desk drawers she finds a pewter letter opener - not as sharp as she could wish, but it's a weapon at least, she is no longer entirely defenceless. Left on the desk she sees a map, forgotten in their exodus - a route to Washington DC outlined in pen. Beth is glad for this small mercy, that she knows the route her family will hopefully take.

Her body exhausted after such a brief exploration, she lies down and prays that she won't dream, that she might be able to forget for some time at least.

Instead images come to her - Gorman stepping towards her, the sucker in his hand; Dawn, telling her that she was weak; Noah, disappearing through the fence. Beth dreams that her family is killed in a storm of bullets in the hospital corridor, all due to her actions, and wakes up with a scream on her lips, sweat dripping down her forehead.

She knows they can't all have died, not when they left her here, but what if one of them had been injured, what if someone had been killed in taking retribution for her? Daryl wouldn't have let it pass without revenge and if he... But no, Beth realises if any of them had been killed they would have been lying beside her when she awoke and she breathes a sigh of relief.

The sun is rising outside, and Beth forces herself to rise as well and put these thoughts behind her, she has a lot to accomplish today.

She has shelter, what she needs is food, water and better weapons.

Beth Greene is a survivor after all, and if there is one thing she knows, it is that she will live to see her family again.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

He doesn't know what they want from him.

He's alive, ain't he? Still surviving, still doing his bit for the group. He still kills walkers, still keeps them safe, still hunts and fills their stomachs. He might be broken, but he's not falling apart, not going to opt out at the first chance he gets.

You'll be the last man standing, she'd told him, and if there's anything he would pray for anymore it would be for it to never come true. But he keeps going, he keeps on going - for her, for everyone she loved.

That should be enough. It has to be enough, because he doesn't have anything else to give right now.

Instead there's Rick, constantly checking on him, asking him questions about the journey that don't really need answering, just to keep him occupied. Daryl gives him the answers he wants then lets the conversation die.

There's Maggie, wanting to be his best friend or somethin', to hear about her sister's last weeks with him before she was taken. Daryl doesn't want to speak about it, can't put all of those moments into words, feels like he might lose them if he lets them leave the confines of his heart where they're safe. He avoids her when he can, doesn't like seeing the guilt in her eyes that so closely mirrors his own.

There's Glenn, asking him to help Maggie somehow, as if he's capable of helping anyone else when he can't do anything to help himself. Daryl has no answer for him, except to give her time. He knows that advice is worth nothing, time won't do shit to erase what's happened or ease the pain.

Tyreese tries only once before he gives up, and the newcomers never knew her well enough to try. Sasha at least is still too lost in her own grief to want to help him with his. Noah keeps his distance, maybe worried that Daryl blames him for Beth's death. Daryl thinks maybe he should reassure the kid that it wasn't his fault, but what does it matter?

_It does matter._

He'll do it one day soon.

Michonne side eyes him but stays silent at least, while Carol seems to think he might want to talk about his feelings or somethin', reminding him she's there if he does.

Daryl doesn't. Won't change a damn thing to talk about it, won't make him feel better none, to spill all of that out of his soul when not a one of them will understand.

They think they know, think they've figured it out after seeing him break down over her body. Stupid fucking redneck, fallin' in love with the sweetest girl in the apocalypse when everyone knows the good ones don't survive. No surprise there, who wouldn't love a girl like that, all sunshine and goodness? But what could there have possibly been between them except for his own one sided yearnin'? Girl like that would never look twice at him unless he was the last man alive. He knows they pity him, he knows they think he'll get over it eventually when he's just had enough time.

They think they know him. They think they knew her. None of them know shit.

Not a one of them ever really knew her, not even her own damn sister. Saw her as Judith's caregiver, soft girl singin' songs and living in dreams. Hadn't he thought the same back at the prison before she showed him who she really was?

But Beth was strong, stronger than any of them. He wishes she'd been weaker, wishes she'd stayed behind him and let him protect her when Dawn made her little announcement. Wishes she hadn't been everything that Beth Greene really was.

No the others don't know shit, don't understand it, and Daryl's not gonna waste his words trying to explain it. Let them remember her as they want to, let them never really know what they've truly lost in losing her.

So Daryl keeps doing what he has to, distancing himself, and grieving alone. Walks the long road to DC alongside Carl and Judith, vowing he'll keep them both safe for her sake.

The miles melt away under his feet, and Daryl finds himself humming from time to time, following those tunes of hers he hears in his head.

Warm sunlight on his face and all he can think about is the glow of candlelight on her skin, the sound as her mouth formed an 'Oh' of recognition, the slight upturn of her lips before he rushed away to open that damn door, flustered like a schoolboy on a first date.

All the things that might have been, if only there'd been time, if only he'd stayed and said the words rather than running from it, though he still doesn't know which words would have fit.

Let them keep thinking that they know him, that they knew her. Let them never really understand what it is that he's lost.

No, the others don't know shit, and he won't be the one to tell them.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has followed or favourited, I am trying to update quickly though I don't get as much time as I'd like to write! Please do leave a review if you're enjoying it or have any comments!


	4. Chapter 4

Over the next few days, Beth Greene gets down to the very important business of surviving.

There are times when she just wants to lie down and let darkness overtake her, when the pain and exhaustion and hunger are so bad all she can do is cry, but she won't allow herself to give up. She will survive, and she will find her family again, and nothing in this world is going to stop her, not even her own treacherous body.

Crawling out from under the floorboards, she stops, listens, and follows the sounds to a creek nearby, a source of fresh water. Later, with a mirror and glass salvaged from a broken down car, she boils some of the water and sterilises a strip torn from an old alter cloth before binding her head to ensure the wound remains clean.

Beth wonders if that would be counted as sacrilege, but here in this new world, surely her life is to be valued more than a trapping that will most likely never be used again. The bible had said that the meek would inherit the earth after all, though Beth is unsure if she can still lay claim to that title.

She makes snares from the available materials on hand and lays them carefully, praying that they work and that she will soon have something else to eat, her can of peaches long since finished. On the day after she has laid them she is rewarded with a rabbit, and she almost weeps in gratitude.

Tears slip down her cheeks as she cleans it, thinking of a moment that seems almost a lifetime ago now, sitting in a small clearing with Daryl, a squirrel laid out in front of her.

It was before the moonshine shack, before they had come to an understanding, an unburdening. Even before that day, even with that cloud over his head and that darkness threatening to take over, he had still tried to protect her by insisting that she learn.

He'd grunted when she was done, placed one heavy hand on her shoulder to signal his satisfaction, and she'd felt her spirits lift with that simple gesture, despite his inability to give her anything more.

It had been later, when his spirit was lighter, the weight of those heavy years lifted from him, and all that he had kept inside for so long, that he had begun to truly offer himself in words and gestures. She had treasured every short sentence or fleeting touch, a sign that he really had put it away, left those burdens behind him.

He would be proud of her if he could see her here today; he will be proud of her when he sees her again.

The next time she leaves the church, Beth dispatches two walkers that have impaled themselves on the organ pipes, stabbing them both in the head with the letter opener and removing their bodies from the spikes before checking them for anything useful.

One body yields a hunting knife, and Beth clutches it to her chest for a moment before she clips it decisively on her belt. The other body has no weapons on it, but in one of his pockets she finds a lighter which she quickly claims. She is still too weak to drag the bodies too far into the woods, so she lets them lay where they are for the moment, hoping the stench may deter other walkers from finding her.

She is making progress until the fifth day, when she begins to feel the effects of a fever coming on, suddenly weak and hot and dizzy. There is barely time to collect water from the river before she needs to collapse and she drags herself back to the church, lies down on the cool floorboards and sets bottles of water out by her side.

As she tosses and turns, she tries to remember to drink so that she doesn't become dehydrated, gathering enough strength to wet a cloth to place on her forehead, before losing herself to fever dreams.

She dreams that she is back on the farm, sitting on the porch with Maggie and Shawn and their parents. Her father's arm is around her shoulders and he smiles down at her. "You'll make it doodlebug, you're strong." he tells her, and Beth smiles up at him, so very happy to see his face after so long.

"I miss you daddy," she tells him, and the dream changes to the prison, her father's leg now gone, the stump bloody and him sweating on his bunk through his fevers as she holds his hand. He had survived, just as she had believed he would, and now all Beth needs to do is have the same faith in herself that she'd had in him.

Her dream shifts to Maggie then, a darkness around her, a red scar upon her heart as she curls in upon herself, turned away from the others and any light that might reach her. Beth tries to touch her sister but she cannot cross the distance, the shadow upon Maggie too thick to penetrate.

She dreams of Daryl, kneeling on the forest floor and weeping, as he punches the ground again and again until his fist is bloody as she is powerless to stop him. Time passes and she dreams of him again - on the edge of the group, alone even among them, one arm thrown over his eyes as he sleeps, his other hand on his crossbow even in rest.

She reaches out to touch his brow, to smooth away the lines of pain there, and he throws his arm back, his eyes opening and then widening when he sees her.

"You're not here," he announces, his voice breaking even as he reaches out a hand to grasp her wrist, his fingers closing painfully around it. "This ain't real."

"Maybe not," Beth agrees, because there is no way that she could really be there with him, in a small clearing away from the highway, holding this conversation while the others continue to slumber a short distance away. "But I'm with you, I'm with you for now."

His expression is more open than she's ever seen it before, the anguish on it clearly readable as he pushes himself up and lifts his other hand to touch her cheek, fingertips slowly ghosting over the scar there. He has nothing to lose now he believes her to be dead, no reason to conceal what he might feel.

"I'm dreamin'," Daryl murmurs, even as he moves his hand again, this time to thread a loose strand of her hair between his thumb and forefinger, "You'll be gone when I wake up."

"I will be," Beth replies, even as an ache settles in her chest to say it, to know that this can't last, "But I swear I'll find you, I'll make it right. I'm coming back to you."

" 'S impossible, ain't nobody able to come back from that," Daryl shakes his head, his hand returning to her cheek, only the lightest brush of fingertips as if he's afraid to touch her in case the dream ends. He looks into her eyes, his face close to hers,his breathing heavy. "I can't put it away, Beth, can't put you away. Can't just let it go. Don't want to."

"I'm sorry," she whispers to him, "I'm sorry I did it, but I'll make it right, I will. Wait for me, I'll be coming soon."

"Sweetest dream I've ever had, even if you are a lie." Daryl murmurs, finally letting go of her wrist to interlace his fingers with hers instead. " 'M so tired, Beth. Never been so tired. See you every time I close my eyes, see you fall all over again."

"Shhhh," she hushes him, before tugging on his hand, pushing his head gently down to indicate he should lay it in her lap.

He does so gladly, closing his eyes and blessedly glad when for once no images of her dying come to him in the black of his mind.

She tangles her fingers in his hair, smoothing out the tangles while she hums under her breath.

"Sing for me?" Daryl asks her, his voice almost plaintive.

"Ain't no jukebox, huh?" Beth laughs, but she begins to sing anyway, her voice low and sweet.

_"Well I heard there was a secret chord, that David played and it pleased the Lord..."_

In the morning Beth wakes, and lifting her hand to her forehead she finds it clammy but cold, her fever gone. The dream stays with her throughout the day as she sets about regaining her strength, gathering berries and resetting her snares.

Fever dreams are the most vivid, and she almost wishes that it had been less so, because even now it is as if she can feel Daryl's hair threading through her fingers, hear the soft sigh fall from his lips as he allowed himself to finally relax under her hands as she sang.

_"Wait for me, I'll be coming for you soon." _She had promised him. She prays that she can make it come true.

**A/N: A huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favourited or followed, particularly the guests I can't reply to personally. I am trying to ensure I update quickly, and comments are always a source of inspiration!**


	5. Chapter 5

"Does anyone sing?"

It's an innocent enough question, asked lightly by Tara as they sit around a campfire, eating the few squirrels that Daryl managed to bring down that day, but the silence that meets it is deafening. Maggie's face loses all its colour while Daryl's throat constricts, the meat he was in the process of swallowing almost choking him.

"What?" Tara asks, confused, "What did I say?"

"Beth used to sing," Carol replies quietly, grief evident in her voice. "Had the voice of an angel she did, sometimes it was the only thing that could calm Judith when she was upset."

Maggie has set the rest of her food aside, even as Glenn murmurs to her in a low voice, trying to get her to pick it up again as she shakes her head, turning her face away from them all.

"Things used to feel almost normal when she would sing," Carl comments, before looking down to his baby sister in his arms, quiet, as if listening to them talk about the girl who had once raised her.

They're all quiet, thinking back on those days at the prison and the one that is no longer with them, and then Daryl hears himself clear his throat, about to offer something to them.

"She still sang... after." He admits, and feels Maggie's gaze on him through the darkness. "She still sang, right till the end."

The admission costs him, and he breathes out on a shaky sigh. He won't admit to them that he still hears her singing in his head, every song he ever heard from her and even some he never did.

He hasn't told anyone about the dream he had two nights ago, so real that when he woke up he reached out for her, the renewed loss of her aching like a hole in his chest. He'd slept better than he had in weeks, the feeling of her fingers in his hair, her sweet voice in his ear, and just before he had fallen into a dreamless sleep, the soft brush of a kiss upon his brow.

Since that night, he has slept easier, the images of her death no longer coming to him every time he closes his eyes. It hasn't made his grief any less, but somehow since that night he's felt as if she's closer, as if she's there with him. And she is, the voice in his ear whenever he's in doubt, the weight in his heart where she made her home.

"Maggie used to sing with her sometimes," Glenn breaks in, reaching out to take his wife's hand. "Maybe..."

But Maggie shakes her head and removes her hand from his, getting up from the circle to walk into the darkness. Glenn sighs, passing a hand over his face, then gets up to follow her.

There are no songs that night, except for the one that rings between Daryl's ears when he closes his eyes.

"Your faith was strong, but you needed proof..."

Halfway to DC, Maggie tries to kill herself.

They're camping out in an old two story house when they're awakened by a shout, at least 5 people immediately running to the room where Glenn grapples with her, a gun lying in the corner as if knocked from a hand as she struggles against him, wailing.

Rick rushes forward to help restrain her as she kicks and struggles and cries. They pin her to the wall, half slumped to the floor, Rick's voice kept low and soothing until she finally gives up, her body becoming limp

"Why, Maggie?" Glenn asks her, his voice breaking with the question. "Why would you try to do this?"

She huddles in on herself, hugging her knees and shaking her head. "There's no point anymore," she sobs, "Beth... I didn't allow myself to hope, didn't look for her, and then she was just gone, just gone. What hope do any of us have? What's the point in fighting anymore?"

"And people think you were the strong one," Daryl scoffs, "Beth sure as hell wouldn't give up so easy. Fought till the last moment, would've kept fighting, whether you were dead or alive. Think you're honourin' her by doing this?"

"What do you know about it, Dixon?" Maggie spits out at him, her grief easily turning to anger. "You spend a few weeks with her and you think you know it all? Beth needed protecting and I let her down. I wasn't there for her when the prison fell, wasn't there for her after. She was my little sister and I couldn't keep her safe."

"Can't keep anybody safe these days, no matter how hard you try." Daryl replies, crouching down to her eye level, "Tried to protect her and I failed, should I off myself too? Think she would want that?" He fixes her with a hard stare, almost chokes on his next words, "You're not the only one hurtin', not the only one who lost her."

"You think you know how I feel?" Maggie's voice is scathing, cutting through the air like a knife, "She was my sister! My only living blood! What was she to you that you walk around these days like you're broken by it? You say you protected her, did she trade you somethin' in return for that protection, huh, Daryl? Is that why you won't talk about when you were with her?" She's uncurled herself now from her protective ball, leaning forward as if to attack him while Glenn keeps a restraining hand on her shoulder, his eyes wide at her words, "You lay your hands on my baby sister? That why you think you get to share my grief?"

He knows she's hurting, knows she's looking for someone to blame, but Daryl thinks he might never forgive Maggie for those words

"Weren't like that," he hisses, "Weren't never like that. Think I'm that sort of man? You really know me that little after all these years, that you think I'm just some asshole redneck wantin' to take advantage of girls?"

The hurt bubbles up in him, as does the old darkness, the feeling of worthlessness - that he's less to all of them than the dirt on their shoes. He looks around at the shocked faces, everyone stunned by Maggie's outburst.

But Daryl doesn't allow it to overtake him as it once would've, he breathes in deeply and imagines her voice - _You gotta stay who you are, not who you were_.

Beth Greene was the only person alive in this godforsaken world that truly knew the man he'd become, the man he was becoming, who believed in that man. Let Maggie think what she wants in her anger, Daryl knows he's more than that. Ain't never been what she thinks of him.

"You don't know nothin' about it," he continues forcefully, resisting the urge to spit on the floor. "You dying won't bring her back, won't change all the things you didn't do for her. Won't do anything except relieve you of your own guilt, pass it on to Glenn instead. Damn selfish is what it is, Maggie."

He storms out of the room then, unable to contain himself any longer and pausing only to pick up his crossbow on the way out. He's said his piece, said more than he intended, now let her live or die as she chooses - it's not his business anymore.

He stays in the woods that night. It's a mercy to have an excuse not to sleep, but he thinks on Beth anyway, remembers long nights they'd spent outdoors under the stars. As the weather had grown colder, she had begun to curl in closer to him while he took watch, her head tucked in beside his leg, her fingertips sometimes brushing his thigh, and he... he had allowed himself the same small luxuries when he lay down to take his own rest, a hand barely touching her knee; once he had woken up to find himself gripping the ankle of her boot tightly as if afraid she might disappear in his sleep.

Had he laid his hands upon her? Every chance he got. A hand cupping her elbow, or placed on her shoulder for a moment to guide her, a slight pressure on the small of her back. Serious piggy backs and bridal carries to the breakfast table. Hadn't he allowed himself that much of her, tentatively reaching for just that little bit more day by day? And Beth, she had never seen any wrong in it, in the softness of her beneath his hard hands. Instead she'd reached out for her own comfort, holding his hand, leaning against his shoulder. Every time she had touched him, it was if she was building him up again, stone by stone, carefully smoothing over the cracks to help make him a whole man.

Daryl might have had his hands upon her, but he'd never intended anything by it, never expected more than he was granted. It had taken him time to build up the courage to even allow himself to wish for more, to come to the realisation that he would welcome it if she would only offer it. It was something he'd never considered, but somewhere along the way her gentle smiles and quiet way had kindled something in him, a spark that even now still burns, burns him up from within.

Maggie couldn't have been more wrong, because Daryl knows he would never have asked anything more of Beth, that he would have been content with only those small touches, those bright pieces of her, for the rest of his life if that was all she wanted.

He'll go back in the morning, when Maggie's words are no longer ringing in his ears, when the wounds she reopened aren't so raw. For tonight he'll walk through the dark woods, and if he closes his eyes for just a moment perhaps he can pretend Beth is just behind him, close enough to reach out and touch.

_You'll miss me so bad when I'm gone, Daryl Dixon_, she had said, and oh how she'd been right. Just when he'd grown used to her light, to her easy affection, to the happiness she'd brought, just when he'd begun to hope that this could be their life, that he could have a small claim to such goodness, and then she was just gone. There won't be any other light now, no hand entwined in his, there will never be another. He had his chance and he lost it, and he cannot bring himself to want it with anyone else no matter how much time passes.

Maggie wonders why he won't speak of it, but Daryl can't bring himself to explain, no matter what her suspicions are. He had never hoped for such things as what Beth brought him, not only a warmth, but also a belonging, of each of them to the other. He'd never known he could have that, never believed that he deserved it. While he may have lost her, he still has the memory of it, and that's his and his alone to treasure, a talisman to carry with him.

He will carry her with him for the rest of his life, the weight of her there with him every step upon the way, heavier than her body ever was.

A/N Once again, a huge thanks to everyone who has favourited, followed, and reviewed, particularly the reviewers, it really is the best inspiration to keep writing. A special shout out to Natercia, who I could not reply to - thank you for such a beautiful comment, you made my day :)


	6. Chapter 6

With the passing of the fever, Beth knows that she needs to start preparing to leave. If her family was camped here for a long time then they will have most likely cleared out the town centre, but there may be places they've missed scavenging, houses along the road.

She is cautious; while she becomes stronger day by day, she is still only one person with a hunting knife for protection. There are not only walkers to worry about now but other people as well.

For a week, Beth limits herself to no further than an hour's walk from the church. She is very aware of her vulnerability, that she needs to be able to run for her hideout at a moment's notice if necessary. Whenever there are any more than three walkers she hides or she runs, not wanting to risk her life through overconfidence when there is nobody to watch her back.

The walkers she sees are few and far between, and Beth believes that her family must have cleared the majority from nearby, or that they remain locked in buildings in the town centre.

She goes about her work slowly, carefully, checking each house and car as she comes upon it. She has found a container for petrol and a hose, and she siphons what she can, knowing that she'll need to find a car if she has any hope of catching up to them, any hope of surviving on the road.

There are slim pickings in the houses, but she manages to find a few cans of food, as well as foil preserved packets of snacks. She has to stifle a joyful laugh when she finds a packet of popcorn, storing it at the bottom of the pack to keep it safe. She imagines sharing it with the others when she finds them, roasted over a campfire. The greater miracle is when she finds weapons - a handgun on one walker she finds on the road, five bullets still remaining, and a hunting rifle in an old cabin, two boxes of ammunition alongside it. She finds other knives, and even a machete, she takes them all. She is yet to find a car that she can start, but Beth has faith that somewhere up the road there must be one.

She believes she must be at least a few weeks behind her family, and Beth wonders if they might have reached DC yet, on their mission to save the world. Could there really be a cure? Beth might have once believed it, but looking around at the world as it is, she finds it difficult to believe that everything might ever go back to the way it once was.

They have to try though, they have to try.

Beth is returning from checking her snares when she sees that the wood barricading the church doors has been removed, split open as if by an axe, her sanctuary no longer intact.

She melts back into the foliage surrounding the church, trying to decide what to do. If she just leaves then she will lose most of what she has stockpiled, her food and petrol for the road. How many people are there though, and how much would she risk in confronting them? She has the rifle on her back, the handgun strapped to her hip, if she was to take them by surprise then she might just make it.

Beth stays quiet and hidden, waiting for the intruders within to reveal themselves, to give some hint as to their numbers. She will wait until nightfall if necessary before she makes her decision. Beth has learned the importance of patience, in long lessons spent tracking game, Daryl by her side, mostly silent except when it came to teaching her something new, a gruff pride in his expression when she would make a correct deduction or recognise a trail.

Beth does not have long to wait however, as a man wearing a jacket with the hood up emerges, pausing by the doorway to survey the clearing.

"I know you're there," he calls out, his voice kept low to avoid attracting undue attention, "You can come out, I won't hurt you."

Beth hesitates, wondering whether to trust him. It is so hard to take people at their word these days.

_There are still good people, Daryl._

It's funny how now she's the one who doubts it. Beth wonders if he's also lost the faith he gained, after all that happened.

"How many of you are there?" Beth calls out, still not stepping forward from her hiding place and ready to run if necessary.

"Just me," the man replies, "I need to ask you some questions if you'll come out."

Beth takes a deep breath and takes a chance, stepping forward into the clearing, her right hand on the gun holstered to her hip. The man looks at her intently, measuring her, before jumping down to the ground from the porch.

"I'm sorry about your doors," he tells her, "I hadn't realised there was anyone camped out here until I got inside, thought it might need clearing."

"I was moving on soon anyway," Beth tells him, taking a small step forward, "Might just go sooner now. You needed to ask me questions?"

The man nods, and holds up a sheet of folded paper, it takes Beth a moment to realise that it's the map she was planning to follow, the road to her family.

"I need that back." She says quickly, taking another step towards him, her hand still upon her weapon.

"I'm not planning to take it," he replies, "But I saw the name. You know Rick Grimes?"

"Why?" Beth asks, her eyes narrowing in suspicion, "How do you know him?"

In the precious few hours that she'd had with Carol, holding the other woman's hand and crying happy tears, Carol had told her what had happened to the group while Beth had been separated from them. She knows about the cannibals, had shivered with horror while the story was recounted, and while she knows that Terminus was destroyed, she worries this could be a survivor come to seek revenge on Rick and the rest of their family? Beth knows there and then that if he can't convince her of his intentions, she will do whatever is necessary to stop him.

"My name's Morgan," the man tells her, "Met Rick shortly after the turn, when he'd just woken up."

Beth remembers the story, Rick recounting how he'd first awoken and gone to find his family. She relaxes her posture slightly, but before she trusts him she must first be certain that this man really is who he says he is.

"And what happened when you first met him?" She presses, watching Morgan intently.

"My son Duane thought he was a walker and hit him in the head."

"And who was with Rick when you saw him again?"

"His son Carl, and a lady with a sword. I wasn't ready to join them at that time, but I came looking for Rick later at the prison only to find it fallen. I've been tracking them since then."

Beth removes her hand from the gun holster and steps forward, "I'm Beth," she introduces herself, "Why don't you join me inside?"

They sit on one of the only pews remaining intact and Beth offers Morgan some of the meat left from her dinner the previous night, less wary of him now but still cautious.

"So Rick and his group were here?" Morgan asks, and Beth nods to confirm. "You were with them?"

"I was with them at the prison, we were separated after it fell. I got out with one other person... Daryl, then I lost him when some cops from Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta grabbed me. They came to rescue me there, but..."

Beth trails off, unsure how to phrase the next part in a way he'll believe, when she still doesn't quite believe it herself.

"Then why aren't you with them?" Morgan asks, his eyes suddenly wary, "Why'd they leave you?"

He hasn't seen the message left on the alter table, Beth's pack left on top of it. She gestures to the bandage around her head. "I was shot, they thought I was dead, so they left me to rest in peace."

Morgan takes a sharp intake of breath, regarding her carefully, then gestures for her to unroll the bandage, which she does. He inspects both the entry and exit wounds before nodding.

"It should be stitched to avoid infection," Morgan announces, "And then you and I will find them together, but first... First we need to clear."

Beth has realised that Morgan is a formidable ally to have. He has an arsenal of weapons on hand, but he insists that before they leave to look for her group they need more - for her.

"We'll return to Terminus," he tells her, his tone letting her know that it's not a suggestion, "They will have the supplies we need, and we can clear at the same time."

Rick had told them of the man's obsession, and while he seems to have a greater grasp of his sanity now than he did then, Beth wonders whether his insistence in tackling the walkers rather than avoiding them will end up getting them both killed.

When she suggests that going to Terminus will be too dangerous, Morgan disagrees. "I was there briefly before I came here," he tells her, "Most of the walkers have left now, in search of other prey."

So at dawn the next day, Beth follows him through the woods and down the tracks, to visit the place where her entire family nearly met their end. It is a miracle that they all made it out alive, and she hopes she is not tempting fate by returning there.

They arrive in the afternoon, and Beth is surprised by how few walkers there are between them and the entrance. Morgan is right and they seem to have left in search of fresh meat now that the inhabitants are gone. They dispatch the walkers at the front quickly and efficiently, and Beth feels her confidence rise as they work in tandem. Alone, she could never have done this, but now she has an ally, and her chances of finding her family again have increased ten fold.

Once inside the complex, Morgan insists they stay together, which Beth is more than happy to obey, shivering at the thought of what had once occurred here. They are conducting a thorough survey of the buildings when she has to stifle a cry, dashing forward to where a partially decayed body lies on the ground, seemingly killed by a headshot.

Beth has no idea how the poncho got here, unless one of the others had brought it, Daryl certainly didn't have it while they were on the run. There is no doubt in her mind though that it's his, she would recognise it anywhere, the memory of it fixed firmly in her mind. Lifting the woman's arms and then head, Beth pulls the poncho off her, clutching it to her chest once it's free. However it got here, it is a sign of sorts, a new talisman. If she can find this symbol of him here, safe and unharmed amidst so much death and destruction, then she will find him once again. She rolls up the poncho quickly and puts it inside her pack, before turning around to Morgan's amused expression.

"Like it that much do you?" He asks.

"It belongs to a friend," Beth tells him, the image of Daryl wearing it rising in her mind, shaggy hair falling into his face as he dismounted from his motorcycle, crossbow slung over his back. "I'm going to return it to him."

They settle into an upper room for the night, bedding down on the floor. Beth refuses to use any of the beds available, knowing what she does about the former inhabitants.

They have spent a long day clearing the premises, and dragging the bodies into a large pile that will later be burned. The things that she has seen today have shaken Beth to her core, challenging her faith in the existence of goodness. She remembers the warehouse storing the possessions of all the travellers that Terminus had trapped - so many lives extinguished, and the toys, piles of toys, and who had they belonged to? How many children were killed and eaten, with no more thought for them than if they were calves being led to slaughter?

Beth is glad that all those responsible are now dead, that her family was able to stop them. She wonders if some day someone else will be able to reclaim this property, to make it the true sanctuary that it could have been. She hopes so, but she knows it won't be them - she won't come back here again if she has a choice in it.

They have found a treasure trove in weapons, some salvaged from the bodies strewn around, and some from the armoury. There is more than they can carry, but they take the pistols with silencers, and an automatic weapon each, along with as much ammunition as they can carry, and some flares that could be a valuable distraction.

They find medicine too, which Beth knows will be useful if her fever returns or if either of them are injured on the way. There are few canned goods available, but they found some vegetables from Terminus's garden that they eat that night, and Beth had paused over a collection of seeds found with the gardening equipment, before sewing them up in a small pouch to take with her.

She has to believe that there will be a place to plant them someday.

Tomorrow they will finish clearing, and light a fire large enough that it will probably attract every walker in the area, making it easier for them to be on their way.

For tonight, Beth lies huddled in the poncho, unable to fall asleep as she thinks about her family in those train cars they had seen, awaiting certain death and saved only by a miracle and Carol's intervention.

She could so easily have lost them all.

It has to mean something, that they were saved against all odds, that they have ensured that nobody will be trapped by the same evil in future.

It has to mean something that Beth is now retracing their steps, alive against all hope and making her way back to them.

Beth lies there in the dark, the sound of Morgan's quiet breathing nearby and can't help thinking back to nights in the past, of watching Daryl as he slept while she took watch. He was always a light sleeper, needing no more than a hand on his shoulder to be instantly awake and ready to move. In the first days after the fall of the prison he would lie down at a distance from her, one arm thrown over his eyes, almost instantly asleep as soon as he lay down his head.

It had been later, after they had burned down the shack, that he would allow himself to fall asleep nearer to her, inching closer night by night until finally he was settling right by her, one of his hands often brushing her leg or ankle, as if to reassure himself that she was still there, even in his sleep.

She had never been quite brave enough to do what she truly wanted, which was to reach out and comb her fingers through his hair, smooth away the worries she saw on his face. She had been working her way up to it though, and Beth knows that if she had not been taken it would have happened one day soon. Her dream of him recently had allowed to do what she had so often wished she could, to lay his head in her lap and sing him to sleep.

He had not taken touch easily at first, she had realised when she had hugged him after Zach's death. He had stood there, unsure where to put his hands, his whole body tense and on edge, and yet she had been able to feel even then that he wanted to yield, to go against everything he'd ever known and allow her comfort him.

She hadn't understood why he would not allow it until later, as they sat in the dark trading stories. How could a man who has only ever known touch as pain allow himself to believe that there could be comfort in it, that there could be belonging? It pulls at her even now, to think of him alone for so many years, even when Merle was by his side, without any touch of love or affection, never knowing a friendly hug or a kiss of love.

They had been changing that, step by step. She had felt him slowly unfurling, growing in confidence and able to reach out not only when she needed it, but for himself as well. They had been growing something between them, something precious that only needed time and a safe place to develop.

She had not been able to put a name to it, not until that night in the funeral home's kitchen, and then she had only had time for a fleeting realisation before everything went to hell. How could she have recognised it when she had never known it before, never known that you could feel such for another person?

She is not like Maggie to throw herself head long into relationships, to give herself over to feelings and decide what to define them as later. She never had the chance to truly fall in love before, a luxury in a time when everything is uncertain. Jimmy had been her boyfriend for only a month before the turn, and suddenly they had been thrown together, the stakes higher, no guarantee that there was anyone else remaining for either of them. Jimmy had been sweet but Beth had grown to resent that lack of choice, the expectation from Maggie and her father that from then on in they would be _JimmyandBeth_, that it was only a matter of time before it was made official.

She hadn't loved him, had never taken their relationship further than stolen kisses and hand holding, her father's watchful eye on her at all times in those days.

Zach had been a distraction, a chance to be something more to someone, a sense of normality, and yet she had not been able to give herself over wholly to the relationship, a feeling of doubt always at the back of her mind. She had not wanted to admit it even to herself, but she had known that it was unlikely Zach would survive long. He was too soft, too much belonging to the old world. So she had allowed him to kiss her, and spent afternoons pretending that they were a normal boy and girl, getting to know one another as if they were on a date. She had not allowed herself to love him, had never allowed herself the confidence to fall fully, always keeping some part of herself back while he gave of himself wholeheartedly. _There will be time later_, she had told herself, even while a part of her whispered that time was what they didn't have.

How could she have recognised what she felt for Daryl during those days on the run, constantly moving from one place to the next? There was never time to reflect upon it, never time to acknowledge it. She hadn't understood the way her stomach would flutter when he would put a gentle hand upon her to guide her, the warmth that would rise within her at his pride when she gained a new skill, or long nights spent glancing down at his face while he slept and wishing she could take all his worries away. She hadn't understood the happiness that bubbled up inside her when he would share something new of himself, something she knew he had never told a living soul.

How could she have known that this was what it felt like to fall in love, when she had never truly known love before?

She wonders if he had known it, if he had been able to give a name to what he felt when he looked across the table to her that night, uncertain and awkward and seeming to dread that she might know what there was in his heart.

It had needed time still, the feeling that was developing between them. Separated first by distance and then by apparent death, Beth has come to know her own heart, and she wonders if Daryl might know his too. She almost hopes that he doesn't, that he might not feel the same tearing pull inside of him that she does, worse for believing her to be dead.

Beth closes her eyes and tries to sleep, the same song from her dream playing once again in her mind.

_There was a time when you let me know,_

_What's really going on below_

_But now you never show it to me, do you?_

**A/N: A big thank you once again to those who have faved, followed or reviewed. If you are enjoying it then please do leave a review, they make my day :)**


	7. Chapter 7

He arrives back in the morning with a deer slung over his shoulders, to find Rick waiting for him on the porch.

Rick nods to acknowledge his return before jerking his head towards Daryl's burden.

"Got a deer." Rick comments unnecessarily, and Daryl makes a non committal noise in his throat before setting the animal down on a tarp and beginning the butchering.

Rick makes his way slowly towards where Daryl crouches over his work, squatting down beside him and clearing his throat, almost a nervous sound.

"You know... You don't owe anyone an explanation, Daryl. You don't have to say anything to anyone."

Daryl looks up from the deer, meeting Rick's eyes for a moment before nodding and returning his gaze to the ground. Nothing else needs to be said between them. Rick is his brother, and he understands most of all the different ways that people cope with grief. Daryl also knows by the statement that Rick will already have made this clear to the others, that they're not to badger him.

Rick might have given his guarantee, but it's not long before Daryl feels the air shift behind him, and even without turning to look he call tell it's Glenn by the nervous shuffling of his feet, Daryl can almost picture the look on the younger man's face. He wishes they could avoid this conversation, but he's known Glenn almost since the beginning of it all, known him longest of any of them now, besides Carol, and there's something owed to that length of time.

"Can we talk?" Sure enough, Glenn's voice comes from behind, low and urgent, and Daryl turns to nod before gathering the meat up in the tarp, walking it up the steps to a waiting Tyreese, then jerking his head in the direction of the small creek nearby to show that Glenn should walk with him.

Glenn is silent until they arrive, until Daryl is crouching down to wash the blood off his hands, having disposed of the innards on the way.

It is only when Daryl turns to look up at him that Glenn begins, arms crossed and hands shoved under his armpits, his posture one of defeat.

"I'm sorry... for what Maggie said. You know she didn't mean it, that she doesn't really think that about you, it's just... She feels so guilty, you know? So she's lashing out, looking for someone else to blame. I've been trying to help her, but..."

Glenn trails off, gesturing with one hand helplessly.

"She putting some of that blame on you?" Daryl asks him, his voice low and rough, seeing the strain in Glenn's features for the first time.

Glenn sighs, and sits down cross legged by the river bank, picking up a twig to begin snapping it and throwing the pieces in the water. "She says if I hadn't agreed to go to DC then we would've been there. She thinks maybe, I dunno, that if she'd been there Beth wouldn't have done it, that Maggie would've known somehow and stopped her."

"That's not on you," Daryl replies, that moment once again flashing before his eyes, when she had walked past him, when he had let her go. "Didn't know, when you left. Had no clue where she might be till that night... And that day, well, we all think 'bout what we coulda done."

"I'm glad she was with you," Glenn tells him suddenly, peering over to Daryl where he still crouches next to him, "I know you did your best to keep her safe, that you would've saved her if you could've."

Daryl nods, his throat suddenly tight and dry. He would've if he could've, would've done anything in his power.

"Lost her in the end."

Glenn nods, acknowledging that, "But she was safe with you before that, she had those weeks when she might not have had any at all."

That might be something, but Daryl's not sure it's worth anything in the end.

Sometimes Daryl wonders why they're bothering to go to DC at all.

Eugene's a liar, and there's no guarantee there's anything waiting for them there, except more walkers, maybe in even bigger numbers than what they've seen.

But they need something to head towards, a direction, so that they can forget for a time just how lost they are.

Been lost for an awfully long time, Daryl thinks, lost since the prison, lost since they all lost each other.

Beth could've brought them all back together, made them whole again, Daryl knows it. Instead chasing after her turned into another failed quest, another loss, another reminder of just how powerless they are. Maggie's right and it does seem pointless some days, but he ain't gonna be the one to agree with her.

He's followed Rick for years now, and that was the only direction he needed. Never thought he'd need anything else, except to protect them all, give them a chance, but that was before he knew what else there was.

There's nothing else for him now though, so he follows Rick once again, down the long road to who knows what. Noah says he's from somewhere where there's walls, and Daryl thinks maybe that's good enough, maybe they ignore the capital and go straight there instead. It'll be safer for Lil' Asskicker, might even give Carl a chance to be a kid again for awhile. Daryl knows there's no going back though, Carl has seen too much, done too much, he'll never get to be a teenager, not really. Sometimes when Daryl thinks on it, it reminds him of his own life, but he tries not to think on it too much.

Daryl wants to believe there'll be safety for their sake, but he doubts he'll ever place his trust in walls again, not after what the governor did to theirs. He'll keep his crossbow close to hand and be ready to run, but he'll hope anyway, because isn't that what she taught him?

_Wouldn't kill you to have a little faith_

He'd thought of her as he crossed the Georgia state line, one less point he can make if he ever plays that stupid game again. It should have been with her by his side, a quick glance and a quirk of the mouth, a secret the others would never know. He's thought of her every step of the way and wondered what she'd think about this journey. She'd have hope, he knows it, that this could be their place for birthdays and summer picnics. Maybe that has to be his hope now, his reason for living, to find that for the rest of their family and then help them keep it. He needs a purpose, and that one's as good as any.

Since her suicide attempt, Maggie's not been left alone with any weapons. Glenn carries a spare gun with him for her in case they're attacked, and she carries a machete while on the road, but come nightfall she's watched carefully. She hasn't spoken to Daryl since that night, hasn't so much as looked at him, and he wonders whether it's because she hates him or she's too embarrassed to do so. She keeps to herself mostly, though Tara tries to draw her out of her shell. She pushes Glenn away whenever he comes to comfort her, won't speak to him, and Daryl wonders how long she can keep it up for.

Carol has been sticking close to him since the confrontation with Maggie, as if ready to deflect any further attacks on his behalf. Daryl doesn't need it, but if it gives her some purpose then he's fine with that, better than her getting stuck in the past, thinking on her own troubles.

Today they're walking at the back of the group and she keeps glancing over at him, as if she's fixing to say something.

"Spill it," Daryl mutters, meeting her gaze the next time she looks over.

Carol's expression changes to one of surprise and then she looks at him earnestly, searching his face.

"It was her, wasn't it?" Carol asks him, "It was her that changed you."

Daryl doesn't need to ask who she means, there's only one possible person. He's avoided talking about her for so long, but this is Carol, who's been one of his closest friends for years now. Carol, who knows more than a bit about changing herself.

"Hmmm," Daryl makes a sound of agreement, before ducking his head to look down at his shoes, "Showed me it was okay to, that I could leave some of it behind."

Carol nods, but her face shows that same tired sadness that it does so often these days, as if she's thinking on another time and other people. "Some things you can't leave behind."

Daryl shrugs, "Some things," he agrees with her, "But you gotta try."

He knows it has something to do with Lizzie and Mika, but he's not quite sure he wants to know what happened. They're dead, he knows that much without needing to be told. He doesn't want those ghost stories added to the ones already inside of him.

Then Carol smiles, even though it doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Beth was good for you," Carol comments, shaking her head slightly. "Would never have guessed it, before. But she was, and I'm sure... That you were good for her too."

Daryl ain't so sure of that, but he knows that before he lost her he was trying. He's still trying.

He can't go back to how he was before, he can't erase those parts of him that she did change, those cracks that she managed to fill in. So a week after their confrontation he goes to Maggie, jerking his head at Glenn as he makes his way over to show he wants to speak to her in private.

She's on the edge of the group as usual, sticking to the shadows, so privacy's not all that hard. He crouches down beside where she's sitting cross legged, her expression both nervous and defiant as she looks at him, and begins to speak.

"She missed you. Said she missed you bossing her around. Thought of you... Always thought you were alive and she'd get to see you again." He clears his throat, notices the tears welling in Maggie's eyes. "Beth wanted good things for you, wanted you to have a life, wanted you and Glenn to have a baby. Loved you something fierce." He pauses, reaches out and touches the edge of her jacket sleeve for a moment. "If you don't want to live for yourself, do it for her, live like she wanted."

Maggie doesn't say anything as he stands, making his way over to his pile of belongings, planning to gather his crossbow and survey the area. He turns to look at her before leaving, to see her sobbing, Glenn gathering her into his arms and this time, Maggie doesn't push him away.

Daryl nods once at Rick and fades into the forest, the stars lighting his way.

He can't put Beth away, not like everything else, but maybe that's for the best. Maybe he needs to carry her, heavy upon him, to be that man she believed him to be.

**A/N: A huge thank you to everyone who left such lovely reviews, particularly the two guests who I couldn't reply to. You make me so excited to write and update :)**


	8. Chapter 8

Their car dies just after Greenville, Beth thinks it's a miracle that it made it that far in the first place. Now that they must carry everything themselves they abandon the nonessential items, though Morgan insists on carrying one can of gas in case they find another working car up the road.

Beth knows they've made it to South Carolina, and that god willing it will only be a matter of time before they cross into the next state. She thinks of her family following this path, finally leaving Georgia behind, some of them for the first time. She wishes she could've been there when Daryl crossed the state line, she wonders if he had shared the moment with any of the others but does not believe that he would. It must have been a lonely first for him, to leave everything he had known behind, and have nobody realise it.

Morgan insists they clear as they go, though having Beth with him and a quest to fulfil seems to curb some forms of his obsession. They will never be able clear everything, not unless they were to stop in one place for a long time, but she respects his determination and does what she can to help him fulfil what he sees as his destiny. It makes their journey slower, but Beth likes to think that maybe they are making it safer for future travellers, that every walker they dispatch is one less that can cause harm.

Morgan doesn't speak much, and Beth finds herself filling the silences when it is safe to do so, telling stories about Rick and all their family, from the time they arrived at the farm, to the fall of the prison. She doesn't speak much about that last, terrible day when she lost her father, when she lost everyone except Daryl. Morgan seems to realise it's not something she wants to talk about and doesn't press. Instead he begins to speak of his son, little stories from his childhood, while Beth remains quiet, encouraging him to do so. He still needs time to heal, but it seems that he is finally ready to try.

There are days when Beth wonders if they're among the last people left alive, so lonely is the road. She both longs for the sight of other people and dreads it, knowing so much more now about humanity than she did before. There _are_ still good people, she knows that, but it seems to her that in this new world they're few and far between. She thinks of Daryl, of his insistence that he would handle anyone they met, and longs for his strong presence.

_I've never relied on anyone for protection before_

She knows that she can do this, that she can make it through without him, but she longs for him to be by her side all the same.

They're a day's walk from the North Carolina border, about to settle in for the night in an abandoned car by the roadside, when they hear the screams.

A young girl's screams, terrified, begging. Beth doesn't hesitate, with one glance at Morgan she's out of the vehicle, gun in hand, and running in the direction of the sound, knowing without needing to check that he's following close behind.

They come upon a clearing in the forest, a young man lies dead to the side while two men hold the girl down, one with his hand over her mouth to stop her screams as he curses at her, pawing at her, ripping at her shirt.

Beth doesn't stop to ask, doesn't negotiate or wait to see how it plays out. She shoots the man on top of the girl in the head, while Morgan kills the other attacker.

The girl is staring at them, frozen in place, her eyes wide and scared.

"It's alright," Beth tells her, crouching down and reaching out a hand slowly like one might soothe a frightened animal, "You're safe with us."

She hopes that it's true.

The girl's name is Ashima, Ash for short, and they bury her brother there in the clearing. The other two bodies they leave for the carrion crows, or walkers.

Ash is only thirteen, too young to be on her own, too young to be alone in this world with no family. She tells her story, how her family had held out on their own for as long as possible, then joined a safe zone around 50 miles away. They had been there almost one and a half years before it was attacked by a herd, her mother dying in the initial onslaught, her father while on the road. Her brother had died in that clearing, trying to protect her from what remains of humanity in this world.

"We're trying to find my family again," Beth tells her, "I was separated from them when I was injured and then Morgan found me. You can join us, I know you'll like them all when we find them again. They're good people."

The girl nods once, her expression doubtful, and Beth wonders if she's weighing their chances of ever finding what they seek. In the end it doesn't matter, the girl has nowhere else to go.

Washington DC might be their goal, but Beth remembers Noah's words about the safe zone in Richmond. If Noah is with her family then it's possible they might head there first to deliver him back to his own people, that some of them might even choose to stay behind. Beth knows that Rick would want walls for Carl and Judith if possible, and the chance to grow up safely.

She broaches the idea with Morgan that night after they've made their camp and the older man nods, agreeing with her. "It's on our way anyway, we'll stop there before we decide whether to continue to DC. It could be a safe place to stay."

"Nowhere's safe anymore," Ash comments, looking down at the sheaved knife in her hands that she'd taken from her brother's body, and Beth knows she's thinking of her own safe zone that fell, all the people lost with it.

"But we have to try," Beth tells her gently, "We have to have faith that one day we can find a place, that one day this will end."

"And things will go back to the way they were?" Ash asks, the impossibility of it implied in her tone.

"No, things will never go back to the way they were, but there has to be a future that's better than this."

They had it at the prison for sometime, that something better, and Beth wonders if any safe haven they find will only ever be temporary. Just because it can't last, it doesn't mean that she should give up on hoping for it, for a time to simply _be_.

"Get some sleep," Beth tells the young girl, "Morgan and I will divide watch."

She has begun teaching Ash what she can while they're on the road, teaching her both how to survive and how to protect herself. It gives Beth a sense of accomplishment, passing on the skills that she was once taught. This girl isn't so much younger than her, only a year or so younger than Carl, and yet protected by walls almost since the turn she has only just started to learn how dangerous this life can be.

"Who taught you all this?" Ash asks her, as Beth demonstrates how to light a fire using a piece of glass and a mirror after making her dig the pit.

"Rick and Shane taught us to shoot when they first came to the farm," Beth tells her, "Some of the other skills I learned from my group while we were on the road before we found the prison. Daryl taught me the most though, how to track, set snares, clean game, how to aim and fire a bow." Beth wishes she had a bow now, so she could hunt for food. She can't help the smile that comes to her lips as she thinks of him teaching her, even as a sense of longing rises from deep within her gut, her throat becoming tight as the feeling threatens to overwhelm her.

"Who's Daryl? Is he a member of your family?"

Beth shakes her head, still smiling. "They're all my family now, though Maggie, that's my sister, is the only blood family I have left. Daryl... Daryl is something else."

She thinks she knows exactly what he is to her, what he could be, but how can she put it into words, here and now, when it has never been discussed between them? There is so much to say, and so much to feel, and she cannot bring those words out of her heart until he's there in front of her, able to hear them for himself.

"Like that, huh?" Ash asks her, one eyebrow raised, and Beth can't help the blush that comes to her face.

"Maybe." she replies, before pointedly turning the girl back to their task. Maybe. All she truly knows is that she needs to find her way back to him again.

Teaching Ash, looking out for the younger girl, makes her wonder if this is how Maggie felt about her for all these years. A desire to protect, but also to encourage, to see her spread her wings. Beth thinks about Maggie often as they walk down the long road to DC, and wonders how she's doing, whether she's missed Beth as much as Beth has missed her. Maggie believes that she's dead now and Beth wonders if her sister had held out hope until that moment, or if she'd never expected her to survive after the prison fell. Maggie is strong, always has been, and so Beth had never doubted that she'd make it, that she'd find Glenn again. Maggie though... Beth knows that part of Maggie still sees the scared girl clutching a cut wrist when she looks at her. Maggie was always relieved that Beth's duties kept her mainly inside the prison and away from danger.

Beth can't blame her for that, for underestimating her and trying to keep her safe from harm.

Maggie will see though, when Beth returns. She'll see exactly what the world has made of her little sister, what was always inside of her, only waiting to emerge.

As the days pass by, Beth counts the miles remaining between them and their goal, wishing that they could find another car to enable them to travel faster. She is impatient to see everyone again, fearful of what might have happened while they've been separated. It is difficult to keep her hopes alive on days when they encounter herds, needing to detour miles out of their path to avoid them, on days when they spot evidence of other people, hiding until the danger has passed.

Morgan still doesn't speak much, but he takes a fatherly approach to the younger girl, assisting Beth in teaching her what she needs to know in order to survive, and Beth sees the changes it brings in him as the days pass, the slow setting aside of his grief. His obsession with clearing has also been eased by his mentorship of Ash, noticeably less willing to place her life in danger than his own and Beth's.

As for Ash, Beth notices that the young girl's confidence increases by the day, with every new thing she's taught. She works particularly hard at the self defence lessons, and while they never speak about it, Beth knows that she still thinks of those two men in the woods and what they would have done to her. Beth knows, because there are nights when she has nightmares of Gorman overpowering her, when she sees Joan screaming through the amputation and knows that it could just as easily have been her. Beth knows that Ash needs to speak about what happened, but the girl isn't ready to, and Beth won't push her before she is.

Beth finds herself telling them both stories in the evening, of her life at the farm and later at the prison, sometimes, though rarely, she speaks of her time with Daryl. She never talks about her time at the hospital. It is still too raw, too difficult to speak of. Beth wonders if she will ever want to speak about it, or if it will fester inside her, a scar upon her as much as the ones that mark her face.

She knows that one day she will need to let it out, to put it away for good, but for that she needs her family, she needs Maggie, she needs Daryl. Beth had never killed another person before her time in Grady, and now she has four lives upon her conscience, even if one of those was committed unwittingly. Can she come back from that? She has to, and she will.

She knows she isn't the same girl that Maggie last saw in the prison yard, scared and still so innocent of the true evils of the world. She knows she isn't even the same girl who ran with Daryl, heartbroken and refusing to give up hope, slowly but surely finding the reason she needed to keep living, a new sense of belonging. Beth understands now, she knows where the true danger lies - not in the walkers, but in men and women who believe that their word should be law and who will do anything to ensure that it remains so. It is the people who crave power that Beth must now be wary of, whether they are like Dawn with her personal empire, or Gorman, wanting power over a woman's body. It would be so easy for her to become bitter and disillusioned, but Beth refuses to give up on her hope that good people still exist. There's her family, isn't there? There was Noah at the hospital, and here on the road there's Morgan and Ash. Maybe where they're going there'll be more good people, and they can make a home.

And if there's not, if those people should turn out to be false too, well, Beth knows better now how to recognise them.

Morgan estimates that they are a week's walk away from Richmond, Virginia, and Beth can feel the hum of anticipation rising in her. She doesn't know exactly where the safe zone that Noah mentioned is, but they'll find it, and when they do she knows that they'll either find her family or some trace of them to follow.

"What are you going to do when you see them again?" Ash whispers to her one night, huddled next to Beth on the upstairs bed of the isolated house they're camped in, while Morgan keeps watch below.

Beth hasn't allowed herself to daydream about it, forcing herself to focus on the journey rather than what awaits her at the end. She doesn't want to be disappointed if she doesn't find them in Richmond, so she's trying not to get her hopes up.

"I don't know... Give Maggie the biggest hug I can, I s'pose, tell her how much I love her, and then Glenn, and Carol and Rick, Carl... And when I get to hold Judith, Lil' Asskicker, I'm not going to want to let her go."

"And Daryl?" Ash hasn't forgotten about Daryl. As a teenager in the apocalypse, Beth supposes that even her vague hints at feelings is the closest that Ash has gotten to romance in a long time.

"I don't know," Beth admits, because she truly doesn't, she has no idea what she'll say to him again when they meet, or how he might welcome her. Will he be as affectionate with her in front of the others as he had been alone? She wants to believe that he'll hold her as tightly as she will want to cling to him, she wants him to put his arms around her and never let go. Most of all, she wants to be comforted. She wants to know that she is home again and that the long nightmare is finally over.

It is strange that she should associate that with him rather than Maggie, but Beth knows that it's true. She won't be home again until Daryl Dixon enfolds his strong arms around her and holds fast, as she had once held him. She is the one that now needs to break, to fall apart and have someone else hold the pieces together as she had once done for him. He will know when he sees her, he will know what it has cost her to come this far without her needing to say a word.

"But I won't leave him again."

A/N: A huge shout out to those who have left reviews, I love you all! I'll try to keep getting the chapters out quickly :) Please do review to let me know how you're going, or even to let me know your favourite 5B theories!


	9. Chapter 9

Alexandria Safe Zone is everything Noah had promised them.

They're spotted by the community's lookouts when they're still a couple of miles away, two men who call out to the group before they leave their position in the woods, asking what their intentions are.

"Jake! Luke! It's me, Noah. These are good people, you can come out."

That's apparently all it takes to win the trust of the scouts, the words of one of their former community members, a prodigal son returned. The men emerge from the trees and approach them, clapping Noah on his back, exclaiming about how he seems to have to grown since he left.

"Your father..." The man named Luke trails off, knowing what the obvious answer to the question he would've asked is.

"There's a lot to tell," Noah answers him, "What I can say is that these people saved me, I wouldn't be here without them."

There is a bitterness in Daryl when he thinks on the truth. Beth saved Noah. Beth got him out of that hospital. Beth stepped up when Dawn would've demanded him back. Beth was Noah's only true saviour, while they're only here to take the credit.

"Well, let's not wait any longer to get you back to your mother and brother." Jake says, "You all look like you've been on the road a long time, we'll make sure you're well looked after once we arrive."

The safe zone extends over a few blocks, something similar to Woodbury but on a slighter larger scale and with better walls. Daryl casts a wary eye over their defences on the way in and is glad to see that the wall looks sturdy, and that the guards are well armed. There's around 50 people living there, over 60 now with their arrival. The neighbourhood had been planned as an independent community - there's solar power and a well system for running water, and the beginnings of a community garden just beyond the housing.

There's hugging and crying when Noah is reunited with his mother and younger brother. Whatever grief there is over the loss of his father is overridden at the joy of having him back, when they had long since given up on either returning. The boy's mother wants to shake all their hands, hugging some of them, and Daryl forces himself not to shy away from her touch.

Then it's time to meet the community's leader, Douglas, and have the rules laid down for them. They're allowed to keep their weapons, and that sits right with Daryl. Seems a damn fool idea to have any of your people unarmed in times like these. Noah has been their entry, vouching for them, and so there's no trial period, no expectation that they'll be under watch for awhile until a decision is made on them.

In the morning jobs will be found for them. Douglas explains that everybody here has a job to do, the community would never survive otherwise. Daryl can't help but glance at Maggie, thinking of the words Hershel would so often repeat, the words he'd heard Beth say more than a few times at the prison.

Then they're ushered into an apartment block, given instructions on which places are theirs, and left to work out the rest for themselves.

Gabriel has left them to take the living quarters attached to the safe zone's church. Daryl thinks he seems almost relieved to leave them behind, to finally have a proper fresh start where nobody knows who he is or what he did. The preacher knows they won't tell his secret, knows them well enough after all this time on he road to know they believe in new beginnings.

Maggie and Glenn end up sharing an apartment with Eugene and Tara, while Sasha, Tyreese and Carol take another with Abraham and Rosita. Daryl finds himself sharing with Rick, Carl, Judith and Michonne, which is just fine by him.

It's strange, to stand in this clean apartment, outfitted with furniture, and know that they are safe - that there's someone on guard and they can sleep through the night if they wish to. It's strange to turn on the taps and find running water - hot water. They all take turns showering, and Daryl almost doesn't recognise Rick when he emerges from the bathroom freshly shaved. Carl laughs when he sees it, which starts Michonne and Judith laughing too, and Daryl, he wants to join them, can feel the lightness of the moment, the relief, but...

She should've been here.

Beth should've made it, she should've seen this - should've had hot showers and soft beds, and a place to be safe. Birthdays and summer picnics. Daryl knows they could have it all now if they want it. And none of it feels right without her.

There's fresh clothes for all of them, and he almost feels like a new man when he puts them on once his dirt is washed away, despite the fact the jeans and t-shirt are not what he'd ever choose for himself. He should feel relieved, he should feel like a man feels when he's reached a long cherished destination, victorious at last. Instead he feels empty, hollow right from the inside to the out. The others are celebrating, he's even seen Maggie crack a smile, but he can't bring himself to join them in it, to feel it at all. He's not all here, not really. He left part of himself back in a church in Georgia, and he knows he'll never get it back again.

They all eat together that night, pooling the rations they've been given, sitting around the apartment where Maggie and Glenn are housed. The others raise their glasses of water in toasts to safe havens and surviving, to new lives.

Rick and Carol both notice his silence, Carol touching his hand briefly when she sees him flinch as they toast to survivors, the others are too wrapped up in their joy to notice. Maggie... Maggie still can't bring herself to look him in the eye or maybe she'd see it too from where she sits next to Glenn, subdued but still able to celebrate the victory.

"To those we lost along the way," Rick toasts at last, his voice rough as he thinks on all those souls.

The others are quiet now, raising their glasses and murmuring their assent. Daryl sets his glass down, inclines his head slightly at Carol's inquiring glance to show he's fine, and makes his way out.

There's a curfew, and he doesn't want to be breaking the rules on their first night there, so he makes his way across the hall to their apartment instead, seeking out his room and locking the door.

He strips off his boots, and then his pants, lies down in the bed and pulls the blanket over him, closes his eyes and wills sleep to come.

The bed is too soft, and it doesn't feel right sleeping only partially clothed. He's had too long in the wild, stealing sleep in short snatches, always ready to run at a moment's notice. Even at the prison he used to sleep clothed in everything but his boots, in case he should be needed. The apartment is too quiet, the room too dark, everything too good to be true.

He gets up from the bed and puts his pants back on, pulls the blanket from the bed and wrapping it around him, settles on the floor instead, his crossbow next to his hand, his boots nearby and ready to be pulled on.

Daryl dreams he's back in the funeral home, lying in the coffin as he listens to Beth play that same song, her voice sweet and low. Only this time when she's done and she turns to face him, there are scars upon her face and blood in her hair, her eyes sorrowful and fixed upon him.

"What did you mean, Daryl?" she asks him, and pushing herself off the piano bench she takes a step closer to him, still just out of reach. "What changed your mind?"

"You," he hears himself croak, his voice raw with the pain of releasing words kept inside too long. "You, Beth, you. Only you, and what is there left now?"

She steps towards him, hand outstretched as if to wipe the tears falling from his eyes, and Daryl wakes up, his entire body shaking, a sob forcing its way from his lips.

Dawn is breaking, bathing the room in a low light, and Daryl knows he needs to rise along with it. He takes a shaky breath inwards and rubs at his eyes, leaning forward and reaching for his boots.

He may be alone and it may finally be safe to do so, but Daryl still can't allow himself to break. Not when there's so little chance that he could put himself back together again.

They are all assigned work that day, the committee taking into account the wishes of each person before making a decision.

Rick volunteers himself and Carl to assist in expanding the community gardens, surprising the rest of the group. It makes sense, Rick has the knowledge and this will keep Carl safe, away from the more dangerous tasks that he could sign up for. It will also give Rick the chance to take a step back, to be a father for awhile without needing to be a leader.

Eugene is going to teach at the community's small school, while Abraham and Tyreese will be joining the construction crew. Carol offers to help in the community's small clinic and crèche, while Sasha, Rosita and Maggie volunteer for watch and walker clearing duty.

Daryl thinks about his choices carefully before he decides to volunteer with Glenn, Michonne and Tara for scavenging and recruitment. It's not so different to what his role was at the prison, and it will give him a chance to get outside the walls, to keep an eye on the world outside.

"I can hunt too," Daryl offers, "Bring in some fresh meat."

The community breeds rabbits for meat, but the offer is gratefully accepted for the variety it will bring, the extra protein to supplement their diet.

Daryl knows that his skills are valued here, that he will be equally as valued for what he brings to them. He could leave the past behind if he wanted to, forget about the asshole nothing redneck, and consign that man forever to yesterday. Daryl could, if he wanted to. Isn't that what this is, a new beginning for all of them? A chance to either reclaim what they once were or start over?

He sees it as the days pass. He sees the shadow begin to retreat from Carol as she remembers how things used to be at the prison before it all went wrong - helping to heal people and care for the children.

The others seem to find their places as well, and little by little the group begins to relax. It becomes more common to see Maggie smiling or laughing with Glenn and Tara, periods of depression visiting her only occasionally now, and Daryl thinks that she's taken his advice of that night to heart.

They are all taking steps towards something, and Daryl sees it clearly, watching as Rick and Michonne banter easily in their shared accommodation, drawing Carl into their jokes and stories. They try to involve him, try to ensure he knows they're there, but there's something that keeps Daryl apart, always slightly apart.

He knows what it is. He belongs to a different time, a past time, while the others have all moved on.

"You're not really here with us, are you?" Michonne comments a month after their arrival. They're returning from a run, just the two of them for once, almost like the old days. Daryl wonders if she's been waiting, biding her time till she can bring it up with him without the others there. "It's okay to move on, you know. It doesn't mean you've forgotten her. Doesn't mean she meant any less to you. She'd want you to."

Daryl knows it's true, knows Beth would hate to see him moping around like he is, a sorry excuse for a man. Don't make a difference to the way he feels though.

"Can't." Daryl tells Michonne, and for one moment he raises his eyes to her, and allows her to really _see_, to know what he struggles with each and every day.

Michonne takes a deep breath in and nods once. "Okay," she says. "Okay."

Daryl knows she won't bring it up again.

They're making a home there, slowly but surely. A month after arrival and they know all the other community members by name. They've all got their places, have all won respect from those who've been there longer. It is safe, and it is real, and it is everything that they have dreamed of while on the road.

But Daryl doesn't unpack his bag, it's still there in the corner of his room, ready to be grabbed in the dead of the night if need be. He still goes to sleep fully clothed, and he still makes his bed on the floor, the bed too soft for him. He would never admit it to the others, but whenever he lays himself down, he thinks of Beth, left behind on the hard floor of the church, no padded coffin for her final resting place.

The night after his conversation with Michonne, he dreams of her again, dreams of her sitting on the porch of the moonshine shack, the same bittersweet smile on her face that she'd worn that night, the only difference being the scars that now mar her face.

"I'll make it right, Daryl Dixon," she tells him, "I'll find you, and when I do, I won't ever leave you again."

The dream is so real that when he wakes up, he finds he almost believes it.

**A/N: Once again, a huge thank you to those who have reviewed, particularly the two guests who I couldn't reply to! It means a great deal to me :) and... Da da da dum we've almost reached the reunion!**


	10. Chapter 10

The last of their food is gone, finished the day before, and Beth knows that even if it is only two days journey away, they'll never make it to Richmond unless they find some. They can't afford to grow weak when it's only the three of them, when they might need to run or to fight at any moment.

They've avoided towns for the most part, bypassing them entirely when they can, or cutting through as quickly as possible. Towns mean walkers, towns mean people, neither of which they particularly want to encounter. With game scarce and the last of the tinned food gone, towns also mean food and so they find themselves making their way cautiously into the next town centre that comes in their path.

"What if there's someone there?" Ash asks anxiously, "What if there's men like..."

Beth knows what she's thinking - men like the ones in the forest, the ones who killed her brother and would've done worse to her.

"Then we'll handle them," Beth replies, her voice promising a confidence that she can't quite match.

She can see that Ash is almost petrified at the thought though, and she reaches out to squeeze the young girl's hand. "We won't let anything happen to you."

"But what if something happens to you instead? My brother... He died because he was trying to protect me. If I hadn't been with him..."

"Then they probably would've killed him anyway." Beth breaks in, her tone decisive. "It's not your fault that they did, never think that. Men like that... they believe they can take whatever they want, that they're entitled to it. If your brother was in their way then they would've killed him just for his food and weapons even if you weren't there."

Ash takes in a deep breath and nods, though Beth can still see the doubt in her eyes. "Men like that... Did you... I mean, did something..."

Beth shakes her head once before changing her mind and nodding slightly. "There was a man at the hospital, and he wanted... Well he thought that he should be able to do whatever he wanted to me, like he'd done to other girls. Thought because he was strong that he was owed it, owed it for protecting us. But what sort of protection is that?" Beth squeezes Ash's hand once more then before letting it go, "I killed him, if I hadn't then he would've raped me, he would've kept hurting other girls too. I'd never killed anyone before, never believed I could, but I did it when I had to. Men like that, they need to be put down, and you need to be strong enough to do it. We'll protect you, Ash, and one day when you're older, you'll be strong enough to protect yourself too."

It's the first time she's spoken of it to anyone, the first time she's allowed herself to be absolved of the guilt of taking a life. Just as she's said it, Beth knows that it's true - she did need to kill him, she has protected the girls that he would've otherwise harmed. Her father's bible would say that killing is never justified, but Beth has come to realise that things are not that simple anymore. Even Dawn... Beth had understood in the end that whatever Dawn had done, or allowed to happen, was never for the greater good, but only to hold on to her own power. It was at that moment of realisation that the rage had risen in Beth, as she thought of Joan and all the other girls who must have come before.

I get it now

She truly does. There may still be good people in this world, but there's also evil, and the line between the two isn't quite so clear as Beth once allowed herself to believe.

Looking towards the town, Beth sees Morgan reappear from where he's been scouting, signalling them to join him.

"So let's go in there, grab some food, and then be on our way to Richmond." Beth reassures Ash with a smile, glad when the girl gives her a hesitant one in return.

Morgan explains the layout of the town as they make their way in, suggesting possible escape routes and hiding spots should something go wrong.

"We get what we need and we get straight out." Beth reaffirms, looking at both of her companions who nod their agreement.

They make their way into town cautiously, to a small grocery store that stands on the corner. The front door has been long since shattered, and Beth hammers the hilt of her knife on one of the windows to attract any walkers to the front, relieved when none appear.

Most of the store appears to have already been cleared out, very little of use remaining on the shelves. They do find two bottles of water, and a can of beans that had rolled under one of the shelves. Morgan finds a lone jar of grape jelly, and for a moment Beth is taken back to another time, to sitting in a darkened kitchen, candles flickering as Daryl had dug a spoon into his jar, focusing on it intently if it was an excuse to avoid meeting her eyes after he had dragged his chair around to her side of the table, close enough to reach out and touch.

"We need to search some of the houses," Morgan states, "Won't get far on this."

"No, we won't," Beth agrees reluctantly, knowing that now they'll lose another day in getting to Richmond, "We should be able to find something, maybe if we check some of the houses that are on the edge of town?"

They're all keen to move on from the town centre, and so both of her companions nod. They're preparing to move out when two things happen - the first is that Beth hears the rumble of a car engine in the distance, glancing at Morgan she sees that he's heard it too. The second is that Ash excitedly exclaims before darting over the road towards what Beth realises is a vending machine. Lifting her gun, she uses it to smash through the glass.

"Ash, come back!" Beth calls out, panicked, realising that at any moment the approaching car will be upon them.

The younger girl seems to realise her mistake then, turning back towards Beth even as five walkers round the corner, drawn by the noise they've made.

Cursing, Morgan and Beth both begin to run, even as Beth spots more walkers headed towards them. She raises her gun, aiming and shooting the nearest walker to Ash through the eye. Then Beth's knife is drawn and she enters into the fray, trying to ensure that her back is never unguarded, drawing the other two to her so that they're fighting in formation.

Ash is terrified, but she does her best, killing two walkers even as Beth and Morgan work frantically against the others. Beth knows that there's a good chance that they could die today and she slashes desperately at walker after walker as they approach. She refuses to die, not when she's so close to her goal. She can't, she won't.

Beth is just raising her knife to stab the next walker when it suddenly falls, an arrow piercing it's skull. She doesn't have time to wonder at it, as she prepares for the next incoming opponent, even as she hears the short bursts of automatic gunfire that means others have joined the fray.

When the last of the walkers falls, Beth lays a reassuring hand on Ash's arm as the young girl breathes heavily, nods at Morgan, and then turns to face their rescuers, praying that the other group's motives in saving them are only altruistic.

Beth has only just turned to face them, eyes squinting against the late afternoon light, noting the large truck they've arrived in before she sees their faces, when a loud clatter claims her attention, the sound of a weapon being dropped to the ground.

Her breath catches in her throat as she spots him, even as her name falls from his lips as a strangled cry.

"Daryl," she takes a step forward, unable to stop the tears that come to her eyes, needing to make her way to him as soon as possible, to feel the warmth of his skin under her hands. He doesn't wait for her to move, is in front of her before she can take another step, his hands raised to her head, hesitating for only a moment before he grips the sides of her face tightly, his gaze darting from her eyes, to the scars, and trailing down her body.

"You're real," Daryl murmurs, his voice coming out choked, "You're real? Tell me you're real."

Beth places her hands above his, holding them as he grips her tightly, his fingers digging into her scalp, almost painful in his intensity. "I'm real, Daryl, I swear it. I'm here, I made it."

That's all it takes for him to collapse into her, his arms moving to wrap around her, his face falling to her neck where he buries it, sobbing against her. His sudden weight is too much and Beth stumbles to her knees, bringing him with her. She brings her own smaller arms up to wrap around him, gripping his shoulders. With Daryl's head still buried in the crook of her neck, Beth brings her face to the top of his head, laying her cheek against it, crying her own tears as she holds him.

She doesn't know how long they remain in the embrace, his body trembling against hers as she murmurs reassurances into the crown of his head, her cheek against his hair. It is too short a time before Beth hears one of Daryl's companions clear his throat then call Daryl's name to get his attention.

It takes several tries before Daryl pulls back from her, his arms still clutching her waist, fingers digging into her hips, and glances back at the man, a quick glance before he looks back to Beth as if to check that she's still there. Unable to help herself, Beth raises a hand to his face, cups his cheek to reassure him that he's not dreaming, that she is really there.

"We need to get out of here," the man tells Daryl, "We've got what we came for," he smirks then, "Looks like you got more than you came for."

"Shut up, Sam," a young woman with short, dark hair tells him. "You have no idea what just happened here."

"Oh yeah, and what did happen, besides Daryl losing his shit in the middle of the road?"

"Beth Greene," the young woman says with a trace of awe about her voice, "Back from the freaking dead."

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, always makes me look forward to updating :)**


	11. Chapter 11

He doesn't want to let go of her. It doesn't quite feel real unless he has his hands upon her, able to feel the life pulsing under her skin.

But there's things to do, and they need to get out of there before more walkers arrive, attracted by the earlier gunfire. So reluctantly Daryl climbs to his feet, extending a hand to help Beth to hers. Tara is there by his side then, handing him the crossbow that he'd dropped earlier in his shock at seeing her.

He'd thought it was a dream at first, or that he might be finally losing his mind. Even despite those doubts he'd still run to her, willing the dream to be real, praying for the only miracle he'd ever really asked for. And there she was, real and warm and alive, and it had been too much for him in that moment, too much joy to be able to bear. He hadn't even realised when they'd ended up on the ground, his body too heavy for her to be able to hold up. All he'd known was the pulse in her neck, beating next to his lips, her slight waist beneath his fingers, as he dug them into her skin.

Then that asswipe Sam had to bring him back to reality, too soon, far too soon. Ten years would have been too soon after the days that he's gone without her.

He keeps his hand on her elbow as he nods to Sam, agreeing with the need to move out, before he turns his gaze to Beth's companions. His head is still too full of her to be able to do more than mumble a greeting when Beth introduces each of them, an older man and a young girl who looks to be about Carl's age. Daryl hopes he'll remember their names later, thinks they might excuse him for his lack of attention if he doesn't.

"And I'm Tara," she introduces herself to Beth, having given up on waiting for Daryl to do so, "You don't know me, but I did see you when you were dead."

Tara is staring at Beth as if she's the second coming, which Daryl supposes she very might well be. They'd given her up for dead, hadn't they? He can still see her laid out in that church, still remembers how it felt to leave her. Her skin, he remembers, had felt warm under his touch, but he'd thought he was imagining it. If only he'd waited, if only he'd checked...

Beth gives Tara a small smile though Daryl can see she's clearly overwhelmed, sagging slightly against him as he grabs her around the waist, holding her up.

"C'mon, gotta get you to safety," he addresses all of the newcomers, though his eyes stay on Beth. He knows he'll have a hard time looking away, that if he could get away with it then he never would. He forces himself then, looks at the young girl and the older man, "One of you can ride in the cab with Tara and Sam, the other one can join Beth and I in the back of the truck."

"You take the seat in the cab, Morgan." The girl announces, with what seems to Daryl to be something of a sly grin on her face, "Just give me a minute."

He's about to argue, to tell her they don't have a damn minute and she'd better get in that truck, when the girl jogs across to a vending machine with the front glass broken in, wraps her arm in her jacket and begins to grab the packets and bars, stuffing them in her pack. She throws a couple to Morgan before clambering into the back of the truck, and Beth finally moves to climb in, Daryl's hands at her waist to lift her though she doesn't need it.

The three of them settle near the end of the truck nearest the cab, Beth's thigh pressed to Daryl's, her hand settling gently on his knee, and he can't work out if the gesture is to reassure her or him. The girl sits opposite and tosses a packet of junk food to Beth, who catches it with a smile.

"Been a couple of days since we've eaten," she tells Daryl softly, "We only went into town for food or we might have missed you."

"But you were making your way to us?" Daryl asks, "You were on your way to Richmond?"

Beth nods, even as she puts a handful of chips in her mouth. "We were headed to DC first, after I found the map that was left for Rick, then I remembered Noah talking about his home."

"Alexandria Safe Zone," Daryl confirms, and then gathering his courage he reaches out and takes the hand that lies on his knee, interlacing his fingers with hers. "We're all there, everyone made it. Wasn't much point to DC so we ended up stayin'."

"But Carol said something about a man with a cure?"

"That was a bunch of bullshit, knew it had to be." He looks downwards then, rakes his eyes over her face, her body, the hand that clutches his tightly, both of their knuckles white with the pressure. "But you... You being here... You were dead, Beth, we all thought you were dead. Maggie... she took it hard. Won't know what to think when she sees you, still can't believe it myself."

"And you?" Beth asks, her face tilted up to his, her eyes fixed upon his face, "Did you... I mean..." Her voice drops to a whisper then, her expression so very earnest, "I worried about you, about whether you'd be okay."

He fights against it, the desire to look away, to mumble a reply, a repeat of a candlelit kitchen, unable to force the words from his mouth and a soft 'Oh'.

He's got her back, he's got her back when all of his hope was gone, when he expected to live the rest of his life without her, only half the man he was. He'll find the words, he'll tell her whatever she wants to hear, he'll do anything she wants so that she never leaves his side again.

"Wasn't," he clears his throat nervously, leans towards her and clutches her hand more tightly, "Haven't been since I lost you. I tried... but I couldn't put you away, couldn't forget any of it. Lost you... Lost myself along with you."

She raises their joined hands to her mouth and presses a soft kiss to the back of his hand.

"I won't leave you again," Beth promises, a fire in her eyes as she says the words, "I've changed my mind, I'm not going to be gone someday. I'm going to make it, we're both going to make it. You won't have to miss me again."

His throat clenches, his emotions almost choking him, and unable to help himself, Daryl reaches out to grab hold of her, pulling Beth half onto his lap and wrapping his arms around her, her head tucked into his chest. He kisses her hair then, pulls her tightly against him and holds on.

"I've got you now," he tells her, "I won't let you go."

Beth is crying, tears streaming down her cheeks, and he holds her as she once held him, trying to pour his strength into her, to be whatever she needs him to be. She's murmuring, words he can't quite understand, and he lowers his head to be able to catch them.

"I'm home," Beth whispers, over and over again, "I'm home."

By the time they've reached the safe zone, they've both pulled themselves together, and Beth once more sits at his side, their hands joined, her head on his shoulder as she dozes.

Daryl catches Beth's companion giving him an appraising look, and he quirks an eyebrow, daring her to say anything after all she's witnessed.

"Nothing." The girl smirks as she says it.

"Ash..." Beth says sleepily, a warning in her tone, looking across at the girl who grins at her, unrepentant.

"I have to say, that was much better than what I'd imagined," the girl comments, still grinning.

"Shut up," Beth retorts, clearly embarrassed, and Daryl knows without having to be told that they've discussed him at some point. It's a strange feeling, and it takes him time to work out exactly what it is, a type of pride, that she would want to talk about him with her companions.

They haven't spoken much during the ride, Beth has mainly dozed on his shoulder, clearly exhausted after too many weeks on the road. She'll talk when she's ready to, and Daryl will be ready to listen. She'll need to tell her story to the others as well, no sense in needing to repeat it. He doesn't know what she's been through to be here, to make her way back to them, but whatever it was, he'll be there for her, he'll be what she once was for him.

It's evening when they finally pull up to the Alexandria Safe Zone, the light fading as the sun falls behind the horizon.

"All well?" A voice that Daryl recognises as Michonne calls out from the wall as they halt in front of the gates, and Daryl remembers that she'd picked up a shift today to cover one of the regulars that's sick.

"Better than well!" Tara hollers back from the front of the truck, "Let us in and you'll see."

Beth straightens up, lifting her head from Daryl's shoulder as they hear the gates being opened, the truck moving forward. She picks up her pack with her free hand, shrugging it onto her shoulder as the girl, Ash, does the same across from them.

"Wait till they all see you," Daryl murmurs, still clutching her hand tightly as the truck pulls to a stop. "Ready?"

He jerks his head towards the back of the truck and Beth nods, before turning to Ash. "Ready to see our new home?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

The girl climbs out first, followed by Daryl, who reaches back to give Beth a hand, despite knowing she doesn't need it. If he's honest with himself then he simply doesn't want to stop touching her, worries that the moment he takes his hands from her that she'll disappear. He brings his hand up to touch her hip, nudging her forward and around to the other side of the truck, where Michonne stands, hand on her hip as Tara stops mid sentence, grinning as she sees them round the corner.

"Oh my lord," Michonne exclaims, taking a step forward and then seeming to doubt what she's seeing, "Beth, is that really you?"

"It's me," Beth says simply, and Michonne strides forward to embrace her, before pulling back, her hands holding Beth's arms, to look at her once again.

"Tara, we need to call the others, go and round up as many of them as you can. Maggie's on the South Wall, the rest will all be at home."

Tara is off, sprinting towards their accommodation, as Michonne looks over to Daryl, her expression one of amazement. "You found her."

"She was coming to find us, would've made it in a couple more days if we hadn't happened upon them."

It's a matter of only minutes before the first of their family arrive, Rick sprinting up, the others following them at a slower pace.

"What's happening?" Rick asks, "Tara said there was someone..." He spots Morgan first, making his way towards the other man with a laugh of astonishment, exclaiming over him having made it there, when Daryl clears his throat, grabbing Rick's attention.

Rick stares at her for a moment, before he steps forward, raising a hand to touch her cheek before he quickly pulls her into a hug. There are tears in his eyes, and Daryl thinks that maybe in that moment Rick is thinking of all those they couldn't save - of all the people who never came back.

The others spot them quickly as they approach, and in a moment they're all upon her, laughing and hugging and exclaiming over her, unable to believe it. Glenn is half laughing and half crying as he embraces her, before looking around, "Maggie? Where's Maggie?"

"Tara's getting her." Daryl tells him, and then Carl is stepping forward with Judith in his arms, and it is Beth's turn to shed tears, gathering Judith to her and kissing her small face repeatedly, one arm around Carl as she does so.

Finally Tara comes into view, dragging Maggie by the hand, a grin on her face. "See what we got for you on the run?"

Daryl watches as Beth passes Judith back to Carl with one more kiss to her forehead, and steps forward to meet her sister.

"Bethy?" Maggie breathes, sagging against Tara as the shock hits her, barely able to believe her eyes. "Beth?"

It's Beth that steps forward and takes Maggie in her arms, as Maggie stares at her, fingertips digging into Beth's arms, then hands rising to hold Beth's face between them.

"My little sister, my little sister." Maggie weeps, repeating the words over and over again as Beth holds her, crying tears of her own.

"It's okay Maggie, I'm here. I made it, Maggie. I'm home." She looks over her shoulder, back towards Daryl as she says it, her eyes locking with his.

He stands there, a few steps away from her, and watches as Beth is welcomed and hugged and exclaimed over. He watches, and thinks that maybe, finally, he's home too.

**A/N: I'm sorry about the length of time it took to post this one, I'll try to be quicker with the next! A big thank you to all the reviewers, you are my personal heroes :) special shoutout to Natercia as I can't reply personally to her!**


	12. Chapter 12

Her head is buzzing, the excitement of all of her family pulsating around her, and for a moment Beth is overwhelmed, not sure who to look at or whose question to answer as they all crowd around. Then Daryl is at her side, his hand on her elbow, telling everyone that it's time to take it inside, to let them get cleaned up and get some food.

They make their way to the apartment that Maggie and Glenn share with Tara and another man that Beth doesn't know. There are two other strangers there too, a large red headed man and a young woman. It's obvious that they're now members of the group, and Beth can't help but think of how much she's missed while she's been gone.

Then Maggie is placing a towel and some clean clothes in her hands and pushing her towards the bathroom, while Carol heads to the supply centre to grab clothes for Morgan and Ash and to arrange for more accommodation, claiming them one of empty apartments in this block.

There is hot water, shampoo and soap, and Beth washes the dust of the road from her body, the grime from her hair. Looking into the mirror she sees a determined face staring back at her, a face she barely recognises anymore. What will Maggie see now when she looks at Beth, once the initial elation of reunion has worn off? Will Daryl recognise in her the girl who sat across a candlelit table from him, the one with whom he spent long weeks on the road?

Beth knows she's changed - changed since the prison, changed since she last saw Daryl, and she knows even from her short time spent with her family that they have changed too. There are new members now, whose dynamic with the others she has not yet been able to judge. There are experiences that her family has faced without her that have changed them, ways in which their bond has changed, and Beth wonders just where she fits into the equation now, whether she can find her place among them once again like the missing piece to a puzzle.

She does not need to wonder for long. Stepping out of the bathroom her eyes are immediately drawn to Daryl where he waits for her in the darkened corridor leaning against the wall, his hands in his pockets. She feels it all of a sudden then, a rush of affection for him, a relief to find him where she had not expected him, to know that he's been been waiting for her.

Beth thinks he's been waiting for her since the night he first lost her, waiting for her even after all hope of regaining her was lost. She steps forward across the silence of that darkened hallway until she stands in front of him, little space between them in the passage. He raises his eyes to meet hers, his lips quirking in an almost smile and his expression hesitant, unsure. Beth takes in a deep breath, a calming breath, and leans forward to touch her forehead to his chest, leaning against him as she breathes in. He places a hand upon her damp hair then, and she can feel him trembling.

Then the sound of Glenn's laugh reaches them, breaking the moment, and she pulls herself backwards from him, glancing up quickly as she does so to meet his eyes.

There's a great deal to settle between them, but tonight is not the time to do so, not when there is an entire houseful of people waiting for her. Beth knows that she owes them all what pieces of herself she can spare, that even now they are waiting for her story, waiting for closure to the wounds that were created when they believed that she had died.

"C'mon," Daryl murmurs, and Beth nods, leading the way into the living room where the group is all gathered, some on chairs and some on the floor. Maggie's face brightens as soon as she sees Beth and she pats a space beside her on the sofa. Beth nods and moves to join her, jerking her head towards Ash to let her know that the bathroom is now free for her own shower. The girl raises her eyebrows at Beth as she sees Daryl follow her out from the corridor, smirking as she heads off with her towel and fresh clothes. Morgan is missing, taking his own shower in Rick's apartment rather than waiting for a turn here.

And so Beth sits among her family, precious relationships now regained. Once she is settled, Carl holds out Judith, and Beth takes her gladly, settling the baby on her lap and planting soft kisses on her head, allowing Judith to play with her hands. She looks up to find the others' eyes upon her, a gentle smile on Michonne's face, Rick's quiet approval from where he sits beside her, and Daryl... Beth cannot stop her eyes from returning to him again and again where he leans against the doorway, slightly removed from the group and his entire focus upon her.

"Tell us what happened, Beth." Glenn prompts her, "How did you survive? How did you come back to us?"

She does not speak about the weeks after the prison fell, nor of her time in Grady. Instead Beth begins her story from the moment she awoke in the church, detailing those first days and her efforts to survive, finding Morgan and then later Ash on the road. She does not speak of how they found the girl, of the attackers and of Ash's dead brother, let her decide for herself if she wants to share that, if she would like the group to know.

The others listen in wrapt attention, even the newcomers who never knew Beth before her supposed death. She finishes the story that morning, telling them of the walker attack and how they had been found by Daryl, Tara and Sam.

She does not mention falling into Daryl's arms, their bodies crashing to the pavement under the weight of his body. She does not mention the truck ride here, of finally being able to cry to her heart's content, her head tucked into his chest.

_I don't cry anymore, Daryl_

She'd been wrong then, tears don't make you weak. They just need to be kept for the right moment, a safe moment, when they may finally be set free.

Beth might not mention these things but she does notice the way that Tara glances at Daryl as her story concludes, before sending a slightly concerned look in Maggie's direction. She does notice that not once since she arrived back has she seen Maggie speak to or even look at Daryl. There's something there, something she doesn't yet know, and Beth knows it will need to be addressed before too long.

It is late by the time she finishes the telling, and Maggie wraps her arms tightly around Beth's shoulders, holding her tightly.

"Daddy would be so proud of you," Maggie tells her, "I'm so proud of you. I missed you so much, Beth."

"I missed you too," Beth tells her sister, pulling back and taking one of her hands, squeezing it. Beth looks around at the others then, anticipating the questions that will come now, and knows she's not ready for them. Tomorrow maybe, or the next day, but not tonight when she just wants to bask in the feeling of being home rather than have to relive events she would rather forget.

"If it's okay then I'd like to get some sleep," she tells them all, "It's been a long day, it's been..." It's been long weeks, months even, since she's truly rested."

"Why don't you share with me tonight, Beth?" Maggie suggests, "Glenn won't mind."

"I can't, Maggie," Beth answers quietly, "I couldn't leave Ash alone, not on the first night. Morgan and are the only ones she knows, it'll take time for her to trust you all."

Maggie nods with understanding, but regret in her eyes, not wanting to let go of Beth now that she's regained her. As everyone gathers their things and comes to say their good nights, Beth hugs them one by one, noting the way that Daryl lingers behind, quiet and unnoticed, waiting until she takes her leave.

"I'll be with Rick awhile, we've got some catching up to do." Morgan announces to Beth and Ash, "You'll be fine?"

"We'll be fine," Beth confirms, "We'll see you in the morning."

They make their way out and down the hallway, climbing the stairs to the next floor and the apartment they've been allocated, two doors up from Rick, Daryl and Michonne's apartment. Beth feels Daryl's heavy presence behind her, his steps quiet and purposeful as he walks them to the door. Rick glances at him once before giving a concise nod, placing his arm around Morgan's shoulders and leading him inside, Carl and Michonne following, Judith in her arms.

Ash heads into the apartment, yawning as she does so and heading towards each bedroom in turn, muttering about which one she wants to claim. Beth pauses just inside the doorway, looking back at Daryl.

"You coming in?"

"You mind?" He asks and she shakes her head, giving him an encouraging smile.

She's fighting to keep her eyes open, to hold back a yawn, but she doesn't want to let go of him just yet, doesn't want him to leave her sight.

"You're tired." Daryl comments, taking in her slightly slumped posture, her heavy eyes. "Should be sleeping."

"I've waited so long for this, I don't want it to end," Beth admits, "Stay awhile, just... Stay with me."

He nods, and bumps her shoulder with his, nudging her in the direction of the couch. Beth pulls off her boots and curls up, her legs underneath her, toes nudging Daryl's thigh where he sits beside her.

He glances at her quickly, then away, and back again. Beth knows this is difficult for him, to allow himself to be so vulnerable, to show her how much he cares. Something has changed since the time she lost him - he's willing to say the words that are needed now, seems as if he's less likely to shy away from offered affection. Was it losing her that did that to him? She had begun to see the changes in the weeks before the funeral home, but never before has he allowed her to see his need for her as he does now.

"Missed you something awful, Daryl Dixon." Beth tells him, and Daryl raises his eyes to meet hers, his hand reaching out to touch one of her feet, his fingers lightly settling on her toes.

"Missed you too, Beth." He replies, sincerity in every word. "Thought of you often, what you'd want me to do, what you'd tell me. Never stopped thinking of you."

She thinks that she could lean over then, reach out and grasp his chin, bring his face close and place her lips on his. She wants to do it, she's wanted to for weeks, since she's had the time to reflect upon him and what he means to her. But Beth knows that now is not the time. It's not a small thing, how he feels for her, what she feels for him. Daryl Dixon does not give his heart easily and she knows that, knows it as well as she knows herself. They have time now, and she knows that they should take things carefully, slowly, that they don't need to rush.

But she still wishes she could kiss him.

Instead she shifts her body, twisting so that she leans against him, her head on his shoulder. Beth thinks she could sleep comfortably like this, that she could close her eyes and breathe in deeply, and ignore everything that still needs to be discussed or acted upon.

Ash exits one of the bedrooms then and Daryl shifts uncomfortably beside her, still unused to being observed in such a position.

"I've claimed this one," she informs Beth, "and Morgan's left his stuff in the room on the right so you're stuck with the left. I'm off to sleep."

"That's okay, you'll be alright by yourself?" Beth queries softly, "If you want I can..."

Ash shakes her head, "I'm a big girl, Beth, I'll be fine. Night!"

She disappears into the room she's claimed, shutting the door, and Beth settles herself onto Daryl's shoulder again, sighing.

"You saved her," Daryl comments, "Gotten used to protecting her."

Beth nods, knowing he can feel the movement. "I can't help being protective, she's got no one left except us. She was with her brother before we found her. There were some men, they killed him, would've... We were there at the right time."

"You did what you had to do."

Even though she had reconciled herself to the necessity of her actions, to hear absolution from his lips is another matter. During her retelling of her time apart, Beth had skipped over the parts that were too difficult to tell - she did not mention any of the lives she had taken. Somehow she hadn't wanted to see the look in all of their eyes if she was to tell them, the different way in which they might regard her. Here with Daryl she feels as if she can unburden herself, that he won't judge her, won't see her differently.

"There were others..." Beth admits, "At the hospital. The first one... He was the one who took me from the road. He wanted... He thought being a cop gave him the right to claim any of the girls he wanted, and he wanted me."

"He hurt you?"

Daryl has brought his arm around her shoulder and his grip tightens upon it. Beth doesn't need to look at his face to know the tension she'll see there, the rage at the very possibility.

"He would've. Thought I owed him because he 'saved' me. He cornered me, and I didn't have a choice, there was a girl, Joan, another ward there..."

Slowly the entire story pours out of her, in spurts and fits. Daryl doesn't say anything, just keeps his arm around her, his other hand reaching out to take hers where it grips the fabric of her pants, holding on. He's silent until she finishes, allowing Beth her outpouring, her unburdening, everything that she has wished to say but been unable to. He waits until she's finished, until she's taken one shaky breath in, and then he speaks.

"I'm proud of you Beth, I mean it." He pulls away, looking down to meet her eyes, "Had to be strong to survive there, and you did. You made it alone, without any of us."

"I wanted you so badly," she whispers, relieved to be able to say it, "Wanted so badly for you to find me, then when you came I screwed it up, almost lost everything."

"But you're here," he takes a deep breath in, she can feel his lips ghosting across the top of her head, "You're here."

"I was so worried for you when I woke up in the hospital, when they told me I was the only one there."

"I tried, Beth." His voice breaks a little as he says it, "Ran after that car, ran all night trying to get you back. Then it came to a crossroads and I couldn't track you. Couldn't find the way."

She imagines him then, imagines him running through the night and into the dawn, exhausted but never stopping, never stopping until all hope was gone. She can see it clearly in her mind's eye, and her heart clenches as she pictures it.

"What happened to you after that?" She asks, "Were you alone for long before you found the others?"

And then it is Daryl's turn to speak, to tell her things that she's certain he's never spoken of before, from the time they lost each other until that fateful day at Grady. It takes time, for him to let it all out, to release himself of all that happened in between as she listens and asks him questions. It must be after midnight by the time Daryl is done, and Beth is curled against his side, her eyelids drooping, and fighting to stay awake. It is over now, they have both let their pasts go and can finally put them away, it is time.

"Best get you to bed." Daryl comments, looking down at her, and Beth smiles sleepily up at him. He shifts then, reaches out his arms to place one around her shoulders and hooks the other under her knees, lifting her effortlessly as if she weighs nothing at all.

"You don't need to," Beth murmurs, even as she tucks her head against his chest, breathing in deeply.

"I do," Daryl whispers in reply, his breath catching for a moment as if on a sob, "I do."

Beth has fallen into a light doze by the time they have made it across to her room, but she still feels the way his arms tighten around her momentarily before he places her on the bed, she still feels Daryl brush a hand across her forehead, and over her hair.

She wants to tell him to stay, he's gone before she can open her mouth, and Beth falls asleep, to the echo of an old song playing in her mind.

_There's a blaze of light in every word,_

_It doesn't matter which you heard,_

_The holy or the broken Hallelujah_

**A/N: A big thank you to the reviewers once again, you are lovely and make me want to get this up as quickly as possible! And now fingers crossed for the episode!**


	13. Chapter 13

He wakes to find Beth crouched in front of him, peering intently at his face.

He'd slept well the night before, waking only twice, once when Ash left her room to use the bathroom, and then when Morgan returned in the early hours of the morning, giving him a nod of acknowledgement on the way to his room, no surprise or suggestion that he should return to his own bed. He'd slept better than he remembers sleeping in months, better than he's slept since the prison fell.

He can still feel the weight of her in his arms as he'd carried her to her room, her slight form tucked against his, relaxed as she allowed herself to slip into sleep. He had carried her and willed himself to let it replace his memory of the last time he had done so, of that long terrible walk out of the hospital, her body a dead weight in his arms and every one of his steps dragging.

Now early morning light filters through the windows, lighting Beth's head from behind, her hair like a halo. In a few hours time he'll need to make his way to his day's duty - clearing walkers from around the Safe Zone today and checking the traps, making reinforcements where they're needed. For now he can lie here, one arm bent backwards under his head, the other over his stomach, and just be here with her, just be. It's been a long time since he's had that, since he's been content to be in the moment, not pulled back by the past, or anticipating what's to come.

"Morning," Beth whispers, as if afraid of waking the others, "You sleep here?"

"Mmhmm." He makes a noise of agreement, bringing the am that had been supporting his head up to rub his eyes with his hand, and levering himself into a sitting position. The previous night he had wanted nothing more than to curl up beside her on the bed, to wrap his arms around her and never let her go. He hadn't wanted to let her out of his sight, in case fate conspired to steal her from him yet again. In the end Daryl had settled for spending the night on the couch in their living room, content to be close by just in case she needed him.

Beth just nods without asking any questions, remaining in her crouched position as Daryl sits, looking up at him now rather than down.

"You hungry?" he asks her, "Can make us some oatmeal. Ain't much, but could be worse."

"You going to make me breakfast, Daryl Dixon?" Her smile could light up a room, her tone gently teasing.

"S'not that hard." He protests, hoping that his skin doesn't betray him, hiding his embarrassment at her words. He would do anything for her, making a pot of oatmeal ain't anything to be proud of.

Beth watches as he opens the cupboards, searching before he pulls out a plastic container with the oats, then a saucepan, measuring in enough for not only them but for Morgan and Ash, then adding the water, and finally lighting the stove.

"They give the same rations to all newcomers," Daryl explains, "Gardens ain't doing too bad, better since Rick took over, so there's enough vegetables to go around. Actually got some chickens and goats, had 'em since the turn, so there's eggs and milk twice a week for each person."

"Eggs and milk?" Beth exclaims, "I haven't had any since the farm, thought I'd never have any again. Seems like a good place, a safe place. Is it?"

She pushes herself up to perch on the bench, sitting close by to him, her bare toes nudging his leg where he stands stirring the pot.

Daryl shrugs, "Safe as any place these days. Probably most comfortable place I've ever lived, before or after. Everyone's settled in now, all got jobs to do. They'll assign you one as well today."

He grabs two bowls and divides half the oatmeal evenly between them, leaving the other half for those still sleeping. Shaking his head at Beth's efforts to take them from him, he tells her to grab a couple of spoons from the drawer and carries the bowls to the table. He sets them down at two places next to each other, and watches as Beth places a spoon next to each bowl before she takes her place. It's homely, comforting. It's what he hasn't allowed himself to want, not since the funeral home, since he allowed himself to believe for a few precious moments that they might be able to have this before it was ripped away from him.

"Maggie was saying she'll ask for the day off today, spend it with me." Beth says as she digs a spoon into her oatmeal, bringing it to her mouth and chewing thoughtfully. "You make a good oatmeal, Daryl Dixon."

He makes a noise in the back of his throat, shakes his head slightly to refuse any credit, then tilts his head before replying to her first statement. "Do both of you good, being together again. Do Maggie a world of good."

Beth is eating slowly, blowing on the mixture on her spoon each time before bringing it to her mouth, and she takes her time before replying.

"You and Maggie, something's not right, is it? I noticed yesterday."

She's always been too damn observant for her own good, and he should've expected her to work it out at some point, the awkwardness that now exists between him and her big sister. Should've expected it, but hadn't realised it would happen so fast.

He shrugs noncommittally, awkwardly, before he looks at her. "We both said some things, haven't really spoken since."

Beth nods, and he's relieved when she doesn't ask him what was said, not wanting to repeat it. He doesn't hold it against Maggie, not really, he knows people say stupid things when they're grieving. But after he'd said his piece to her, he hasn't tried to make it right between them, has figured she can do so if she wants to, it's not him that needs to cross the distance. Yet Maggie has let that gulf remain, whether due to embarrassment or some other cause, Daryl doesn't know.

"I'll fix it," Beth states confidently, "I'll make it right again."

She smiles at him then, and he can't help but believe her. It will be right again simply because she wants it to be, because how could the world refuse to get in line when Beth Greene orders it to be so? He's convinced she could walk on water if she set her mind to it. Hasn't she come back from the dead after all? Come back from the dead and sitting next to him at this small table, eating oatmeal and looking at him as if she's been given all she ever wanted.

Oh how he wishes he could be everything she's ever wanted.

He thinks he could say something then, give her some sign, lay his heart out on the table in front of her and let her do what she wished with it, whatever she wanted. Knows she'd treat it well if she were to take it, knows it would always be safe in her hands.

But there's a knock at the door, and Beth jumps up to answer it, telling him to keep eating even as Daryl moves to rise to his feet. Despite the fact he's lived here safely for a month he still feels a sudden fear, a desire to check who it is before he lets them near her. He stays where he is though, trusts her to judge for herself, knows that she doesn't need his overprotective fears when she's shown again and again she's capable of looking out for herself.

Daryl hears Maggie's voice as she opens the door, and has to stop himself from tensing, finishing the last few spoons of his oats instead, scraping the bottom of the bowl before gathering it up and heading for the sink, washing it with the water set by in a bucket before he turns around to acknowledge the new arrival.

Maggie is sizing him up when he does so, her gaze wary, and he has to force himself not to shrink under it, to fold in on himself. It ain't her choice who her little sister wants around, and it's not on him if she doesn't approve. He hasn't done anything, hasn't even tried to do anything like what she thinks of him.

It's a different matter that he aches to try, burns to be able to reach out as he truly wishes, to lay himself at Beth Greene's feet and hope that she'll have him. He knows he'll always be hers regardless.

"I'd best get going," he addresses Beth then, keeping his eyes on her rather than her sister.

"You don't need to," she tells him, "Stay awhile."

"Nah, best get ready for work. Michonne will have my ass if I make us late."

"I'll see you later." It's said softly, half a statement and half a question and he nods in reply before turning to go, briefly meeting Maggie's eyes before he leaves the apartment, walking across the hall to his own.

Michonne is pulling on her shoes when he arrives, raising her eyebrows as she sees him walk in the door.

"You ready?" Daryl asks, and she inclines her head in reply before she farewells their other flat mates, stopping to kiss Judith goodbye.

"See you all later." Daryl tells the room at large, meeting Rick's nod with one of his own. His brother won't ask, won't question him on where he was the night before or what occurred and Daryl's thankful for it.

Michonne is another matter entirely.

"So?" she begins, giving him an earnest look as she leans against a tree trunk, waiting while Daryl pulls a bolt from the head of a walker, wiping it down before he replaces it.

"So what?" He replies, his own eyebrow raised this time, daring her to come out and say what she's thinking.

"Not one to kiss and tell, Dixon?"

"Who said anything about kissing?" Daryl mutters, trying to stare Michonne down.

Just because he hadn't, it didn't mean he hadn't thought of it, didn't mean he didn't want to. That wasn't what last night was about though, wasn't why he'd followed her in. What they'd shared then, that was more important, more vital, than giving in to any urges he'd had. They'd both needed it, to let out all the things kept inside while they'd been apart. They'd needed to be able to put that past aside, put it away, and they'd needed to do it together.

After what Beth had told him, Daryl's going to be damn sure that it's what she wants before he tries to take anything further. He won't be that man, the one that pushes, the one that tries to claim what's not his.

"Alright, alright, keep your secrets," Michonne's tone is teasing, a smile on her face, "I just wanted you to know how glad I am for you, Daryl. You get some happiness, you make sure you grasp it with both your hands, you hear me?"

Daryl thinks he already has, he thinks that even now he can feel himself holding on for dear life.

**A/N: Is anyone nervous about this Sunday? I'm hella nervous but holding out hope! Please do review if you've enjoyed it :)**


	14. Chapter 14

"You had breakfast already?" Beth asks it softly, to break the sudden silence between her and Maggie, as she picks up her own bowl to finish it off.

Maggie nods, "I ate before I came. Glenn was up early for his duty, so he'd made us some."

"The others should be up soon, then we can get going."

Beth can't help but feel anticipation as she says it, to know that today she'll be given a job, her own role in making this community thrive. She hasn't had that since the prison, not really, she refuses to include her experience at Grady in that estimation. That was indentured servitude and not a job.

"Did you sleep well?" Maggie asks, her tone concerned, as she looks at Beth intently. "It's a new place, there's a lot of things to adjust to."

"I slept better than I have in months," Beth tells her, "I'd forgotten what it felt like to feel safe, to not always have to be on my guard. I knew you were all nearby, and I let myself sleep properly for once."

Maggie's face brightens into a smile for a moment before it suddenly falls, tears coming to her eyes. "Oh Bethy, I missed you so much."

Putting down her bowl, Beth crosses to her sister and hugs her, her hands making soothing circles on Maggie's back until she calms, then Beth leads them both to the sofa.

"I knew you'd make it," Beth tells Maggie, unable to help the sad smile that comes to her lips as she remembers heated discussions with Daryl, "You and Glenn, I always knew I'd see you again, I never lost hope."

She doesn't understand why it is that Maggie's expression once again crumples, why it is that she sobs, placing her head in her hands for several long moments before she calms herself.

"What is it, Maggie?"

"You were far stronger than me, Beth," Maggie announces, her voice wavering, "I didn't... I didn't allow myself to hope that you'd made it. I thought it would hurt more, if I found you hadn't, so I tried not to think about you, about what could have happened to you. Even after Daryl told me you were alive, I still didn't let myself hope, the chances were so small that we'd ever find you again. I just... I tried to forget, so that I wouldn't have to think about how I failed you. I should've stayed with you that day at the prison, we should never have separated. I'm so sorry, Beth, I'm sorry I gave up on you."

It stings, the knowledge that Maggie had given her up for dead. Beth had wondered why she hadn't been there at the exchange that day, and now she thinks that she finally knows. Beth understands though, even if she wishes she didn't. The girl she was at the prison... Very few people would have expected that girl to survive, especially not on her own. That girl had yet to go through her trial by fire, had yet to realise for herself that she could make it, that she could survive. How many runs had Beth been on compared to Maggie, and how many walkers had she killed? Her family had tried to keep her safe, had believed that she needed protection, and that without it she wouldn't last a day.

Yet Beth is still standing, when so many others aren't.

"It's okay Maggie, it's..." Beth struggles to find the words, to absolve her sister of the guilt she feels. Maggie's easy acceptance of the possibility of Beth's death might hurt, but she's not going to waste the days she has, precious days, in holding a grudge that she's been underestimated. It still stings, somewhere deep inside her, but Beth has to let it go, has to allow them both to move on.

"It's hard to hold onto faith when there's no evidence, when everything seems hopeless. We've found each other again and that's what matters."

"Oh Beth," Maggie sighs heavily, but Beth can see there's a weight off her shoulders, that she's allowed herself to let some of the guilt go, "How can you still be so good after everything? How can you still let yourself believe?"

"Because I have to, because there's no point to living otherwise." She still believes it, as thoroughly as she had before everything went to pieces, perhaps even more so now.

Maggie is drying her eyes when Morgan emerges from his room, Ash a couple of minutes later.

"There's some oatmeal waiting for you in the pot, should still be warm." Beth announces, and Morgan nods his thanks, heading into the kitchen.

"Thanks, mom!" Ash tells her cheekily, pausing to do her boots up before she heads to the kitchen. "Daryl left already?"

"He had work," Beth replies, not stopping to question how Ash had known he'd stayed over, "Which is where we need to be headed to next, Maggie's taking us."

The girl nods, and heads towards her breakfast, as Beth turns back to Maggie who has been watching the exchange thoughtfully.

"There are more things that we need to talk about, Maggie," Beth says, reaching out and squeezing her sister's hand, "We'll sit down after we get our jobs sorted, just you and me."

The look that Beth gives her is laden with meaning, and she wonders if Maggie knows what she wants to talk about, if there's things that Maggie's wanting to ask her too. It's better done away from the others, especially if Beth is to get to the bottom of what occurred between Daryl and Maggie while she was gone.

Ten minutes later Morgan and Ash are done, the dishes all washed and put away. They follow Maggie down the main street to the town's administrative centre, where their fates are to be decided.

Morgan goes first, and knowing him for so many weeks now, Beth isn't surprised by what he requests.

"I'd like to use the safe zone as a base, but to be able to come and go. My mission is to clear... To clear as many of these walkers as I can, to make the world safe again. I need to go where I can do that best. I'll clear the nearest towns first, then take it from there."

Surprisingly Douglas agrees. He tells them that Rick's spoken to him already, and told him about Morgan's mission, that clearing the nearby towns can't be anything other than a blessing for the safe zone.

It's Ash's turn next, and she's given a choice between assisting the stores keeper, or helping with the community farm and animals. She chooses the farm with a shrug, stating that she's aways preferred to be outdoors. Beth can't help but be relieved, knowing that she'll be with Rick and Carl. Let the girl regain some of her childhood, let her stay protected behind the walls for as long as she can. Beth will insist that she continues to train, but at least this will give her peace of mind.

Then it's Beth's turn, and as Douglas begins to outline her choices, Beth interrupts him.

"I want to volunteer to work with the scavengers and recruiters."

She sees him sizing her up and knows he doubts her, that he probably thinks she'd also be better off with a job behind the walls.

"Beth, are you sure?" Maggie asks, "You could volunteer for guard duty instead, work with Sasha, Rosita and I."

"I'm sure." Beth states firmly, "I want to do this, I'm good at it. I know how to get in and out of places quickly, how to get what we need, how to survive. I can be an asset."

With one long last appraising look, Douglas finally agrees, and they are all told where they need to assemble for work the next day. Morgan will work with the scavenging and walker clearing team for the time being, until he's ready to move on.

Their work complete, Beth tells Ash and Morgan that she'll see them later, that she and Maggie need to spend some time catching up. Her two companions leave to wander the town while Beth and Maggie head back to Maggie's apartment, now empty with the other inhabitants at their jobs.

Maggie makes them some tea, from a real teabag no less. They share one bag between two cups and there's no sugar or milk, but Beth treasures it nonetheless, cupping the warm mug between both her palms like a precious object.

They sip their tea in silence for a moment, while Beth thinks of how to begin.

"Daryl said that you had a rough time, that you took my death hard. He didn't say any more than that, but I hope... I hope you've been healing."

"I blamed myself," Maggie whispers, looking down at the cup in her hands, "I blamed myself for not looking for you, I blamed myself for running off on a fool's errand to DC when I should've been there for you, should've been at the exchange. I was sure I could've stopped you, if I'd only been there. I felt so guilty, and I just wanted to die, I tried... But they stopped me, wouldn't let me. I pushed everyone away, pushed Glenn away. I'm lucky he wouldn't give up, just kept on trying."

"Oh Maggie..." Beth feels her own guilt then, for what Maggie went through after believing her dead, for what Daryl went through, for the grief that they all must have felt over her passing. She has to let it go though, she has to move past it even as they do. Everything that occurred is past now, and she's sitting here, in an apartment in a safe zone, drinking tea with her sister. As impossible as it seems she has made it to this point and all of that is behind her.

"It wasn't just Glenn, was it?" Beth asks hesitantly then, "Something happened with Daryl, didn't it? I've noticed the way you are with him now, that you two don't talk."

"You asked him?"

"All he would say is that you both said some things," Beth pauses, fixes Maggie with a serious look, "I'm asking you now, Maggie."

"I snapped," Maggie admits, and Beth notices the guilt in her eyes, the embarrassment, "It was just after I'd tried to kills myself, and he told me some hard truths, I said some terrible things to him in return. I didn't mean them, not really, but... It was so hard, Beth. I'd lost you, and there he was, acting like he had just as much of a right to grieve as me, and I hated it. Yet he wouldn't talk about you, after. I wanted to know, and it frustrated me that he wouldn't say anything, so I lashed out."

"What did you say?" Beth dreads the answer, can almost imagine the confrontation, another burden placed on a weary soul.

"I asked him if he'd... If he'd traded protecting you for something else, if that was why he thought he had a right to grieve."

Beth's intake of breath is sharp, her expression horrified as she fixes Maggie under her stare. "Daryl would never. After this much time together, you think he could do that? Think he's that sort of man? You don't know him at all. Men like that... I _know_ men like that, and you could think... Maggie, how could you? How could you ever accuse him of that?"

"I know now, I know that I just... I was hurting, and when he tried to talk me down I wanted to hurt him too, to provoke him. I wanted to know why he thought he had the right to share my grief."

"He had every right." Beth's tone is cold, angry. She knows that Maggie has been through a great deal, but Daryl never deserved such treatment. After everything he's done for everyone, including Maggie, the accusation must have been like a knife to his gut. "I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him. After the prison fell, it was just the two of us, we had to rely on each other, trust each other. I know we both learned so much during that time, that we both grew to understand each other. He tried so hard to keep me safe, and when he lost me... He had every right, Maggie, and he didn't need to explain anything to you or to anybody else."

She could add more, but chooses not to. How at least Daryl had looked for her, not only after her abduction, but later too. At least he had never abandoned faith, believing that she was alive even before they found Grady and Noah to confirm it.

"I know, I know that now... But I don't know how to make it right, Beth."

Beth can tell that Maggie is genuinely sorry, that she's long since realised her mistake. That by itself doesn't change things though, someone needs to take the first step towards fixing things between them. Beth doesn't want them to be at odds, the two people who are dearest to her. Life is far too short for that.

"I've heard that sometimes apologies do wonders, Maggie." Beth tells her, quirking an eyebrow, and watches as Maggie first stares at her and then begins to laugh.

"Lord, how I've missed you, Bethy."

They'll be alright now, Beth knows they will be. They'll all be alright.

It doesn't surprise her that when Daryl comes back from work he comes searching for her, knocking hesitantly at the door to her shared apartment, where she and Maggie have long since moved to, chatting with Ash about her perceptions of the township.

"How'd it go?" He asks once she lets him in, a gentle hand on his forearm to greet him, even as he steps forward, slightly into her space, as if he wishes he could claim more from her on his return after a long day apart. It isn't time as yet, but Beth allows herself to think about the day when it will be, when after a day apart she can step forward, rise on her toes to place a kiss on his lips.

"I'm joining the scavenging and walker clearing team," she tells him, and it would be impossible to miss the pride that she sees in his eyes at that statement.

"Gonna need to get you some good weapons," Daryl states, his gruff tone not able to hide the happiness she can so clearly hear, "Rick's got a compound bow we picked up, figure it could do well for you. Time we started your lessons again?"

"Really?" Beth can't help but grin, she'd finally been getting decent with the crossbow when they'd separated, and while she'll never be as proficient as Daryl, she feels like it's something she could be good at one day. The other part is that the lessons will give allow them some time alone, some time to regain the momentum they had before her abduction, moving clearly towards something.

"I'll get it from him, can get some practice in tomorrow after your first day." Daryl jerks his chin towards Ash then, "What's Pippy Longstockings over there been assigned?"

Ash flips him the finger from her place on the couch next to Maggie. "I'm going to be working in the farm, looking after the animals mostly."

Daryl nods then, takes another step forward as if to join them on one of the other chairs before he stops, changing his mind. "It's a good job, need to keep up your training though. Don't forget all that Beth and Morgan have taught you."

The rest remains unspoken, that she'll need it if they ever need to run, that working in the farm will keep her safe for now, but now is not forever.

Ash nods, smiling at him as she agrees and Daryl clears his throat, "Best get going, my turn to make the dinner tonight, don't want Carl mouthing off at me if it's late. Will call you over when it's done."

Beth gives Maggie a pointed look and her sister pushes herself up from the couch, stepping forward awkwardly. "I'll walk with you, Daryl? Wanted to talk to you about something."

It's clear that he's surprised, but with a shrug he gives his agreement before turning to leave. He touches Beth's arm as he does so, just the tiniest nudge, and she brushes her fingers against his, not caring who might see.

"We'll be over for dinner later." Beth promises him, before stepping back to watch as he and Maggie exit the room together, her sister's posture tense in preparation for the apology she must make.

She knows that Maggie will do the right thing now, that it's time to admit she was wrong. Beth knows she'll do it, because if nothing else, Maggie will do it for her.

There's deer for dinner, a portion of the animal that he's brought down while on duty, while the rest has been distributed among the other families. Daryl has made a simple stew with the meat, vegetables mixed in, but it reminds Beth of the prison, of the communal kitchen there that Carol used to preside over.

It turns out that their group usually eats dinner together, pooling their rations to prepare the best meals possible and taking turns to cook. Beth can't help but notice the difference tonight from the night before, the easing of tensions among her family. Maggie smiles at Daryl and thanks him as she takes the bowl from him, and he nods his head simply in return. Morgan and Rick chat amongst themselves, Michonne occasionally contributing something to the conversation, while Ash has joined Carl in taking turns to amuse Judith.

Beth divides her time amongst them all, catching up with those from the prison and getting to know the newcomers. She finds her interactions with Eugene a bit awkward as the man stares at her, a little too long, until Daryl suddenly appears at her side, hand on her elbow and leading her away with a mumbled excuse that Beth can't quite make sense of.

"Thanks," she whispers once he's led her out to the small balcony, settling himself into one corner, hunching over with his hands tucked into his armpits, "I wasn't quite sure what I should say to him once he'd ask me to confirm that I wasn't a lesbian like Tara."

Daryl snorts at that.

"Typical Eugene. He's harmless, just annoying is all. Let me know if he gives you any trouble."

"And what are you going to do about it, Daryl Dixon?"

Her tone is light, almost flirtatious, and she's proud of herself in that moment, even if it is a small step. She's still working out how to redefine things between them, how to ensure that he knows she's ready, that she's waiting for him. This is only the second day back with him, but Beth is already certain, she already knows what she wants. She's had long weeks on the road to think it over, to make her decisions and understand what it is that she feels. Beth knows, and yet she doesn't feel the need to rush. They both need time to renegotiate their relationship, to evolve into something more. Let it happen as it was meant to, let it happen in its own time.

His lips quirk, recognising her teasing, and he raises his eyes to look into hers. "I dunno. Somethin' though. Can't have anyone make you feel uncomfortable."

She steps forward, into his space, hands jammed into her jeans pockets as she rocks back and forth on the balls of her feet.

"I feel safe as long as you're around. I know you won't let anything happen to me."

She lets it hang there in the air between them for a moment, heavy, as Daryl meets her eyes, his gaze piercing, before he looks down at his boots once again, scoffing.

"Did a fine job of that, before."

"Hey," she steps forward, reaching one hand out to place it on his arm, still crossed tightly against his chest, "That wasn't your fault, not either time. None of it was your fault, and you need to know that, you need to believe that."

He nods, once and slowly, but Beth knows that it will take time for the words to truly sink in, for him to accept them.

"Will you come over tonight?" Beth asks him then, unable to keep the hope out of her tone.

"Mmhmm," he confirms, and Beth smiles, squeezing his arm lightly before stepping away, smiling at him over her shoulder as she re-enters the apartment to join the others.

Daryl waits until the others have all gone back to their own homes, finding her in the living room where she sits chatting with Ash, an old paperback novel in the girl's hand that she's borrowed from Rosita.

Beth watches the way he fills up her doorway awkwardly, one shoulder set against the frame, hands jammed in his pockets like he doesn't know what to do with them.

"C'mon," Beth tells him, standing up and holding out her hand. He comes forward slowly, almost shyly, but there is no hesitation in the hand that reaches out to take hers, fingers intertwining.

"'Night, Ash, don't stay up too late. Remember we've got our first day of work in the morning."

"Same back at you." Ash responds with a raised eyebrow, and Beth resists the urge to stick her tongue out at the girl, reminding herself that she is an adult now.

She leads him into her room and shuts the door behind them, crossing over to her pack and rummaging through it as he stands there, eyes fixed on anything except her.

"I haven't gotten around to unpacking yet," she tells him, for something to say to break the silence.

"Me neither," Daryl admits, taking a step closer to her, "Hadn't felt right... before. Maybe now though, maybe it's time."

Beth thinks she understands exactly what it is that he's trying to say, she thinks that the both of them have finally found what it was they were waiting for, what they needed to make a home.

Beth turns towards him, holding out the folded piece of fabric she has retrieved from her bag.

"When I saw it, it was like a sign, I knew I'd bring it back to you. All the way here, I'd wear it at night while I kept watch, or slept, kept me warm from the cold. It gave me hope, I'd I could find it, then I'd definitely find you all again."

Daryl takes the poncho from her, staring down at it for a moment before he looks up at her again.

"Where'd you find this?"

"Saw it almost as soon as we entered Terminus, right there like it was waiting for me."

"Must have been Glenn," Daryl muses, "Grabbed it from the prison before he left."

Beth nods, and sitting down on the bed she reaches down to pull her boots off, lining them up to the side where she can reach them easily. That done, she scoots herself up the bed so that she's leaning against the headboard, her feet tucked under her. Daryl stays standing where he is, the poncho in his hands as he runs his thumb over the fibres thoughtfully, even as his gaze stays on Beth instead.

"Come and sit," Beth invites him, and Daryl tilts his head slightly before nodding, bending to take off his own boots, lining them up just as neatly at the foot of the bed before he hoists himself up, settling next to her, his legs outstretched.

"S'comfortable."

"Yours isn't?"

There is a pause as he looks away, down towards his sock covered feet, a couple of toes poking through holes.

"Haven't used it, just didn't..." he turns to her then, and Beth is almost taken aback by the raw pain on his face as he looks at her. Daryl takes a deep, shuddering breath in before he continues, "Was too soft, too... Too comfortable. Reminded me that I'd made it here, and left you behind lying on a cold church floor."

Beth reaches over to touch his face, cupping his cheek, and he turns into it, still awkward but slightly less hesitant now, willing to accept her comfort.

"But I've made it here now too," she reminds him, curling her hand to stroke his cheekbone lightly with her fingertips.

"You did," he whispers back, "You _did_."

She makes her decision then, lowers herself so that she's lying on the mattress, then reaches out to grasp his hand. "Lay down with me, Daryl Dixon." she tells him, in a voice that won't accept any refusal, "Lay down and rest."

And he goes willingly, without any word of dissent, lies down beside her with one arm bent back under his head and the one closest to her lying by his side.

Beth blows out the candle by her bedside, snags the blanket and brings it up to cover them both and then she shifts herself closer. Tucking herself into his side, she rests her head on his shoulder and brings her hand up to place over his heart. She can feel it there, beneath her fingertips, pounding away.

There is only a moment's hesitation before Daryl encloses one arm around her shoulders, removing the other from beneath head to cover her hand over his heart.

There is a long, drawn out exhalation of breath, and then as Beth lies there, she can feel the change come, the slowing of his heartbeat, the relaxation of his muscles as he finds his rest.

And Beth closes her eyes, and allows the steady beat beneath her fingers to lull her to sleep.

**A/N: I'm sorry it's taken me longer then usual to post, there were a lot of things going on this week and I didn't have as much time as I usually do! Well last week was a bust, but I'm still holding out - let's hope it's this episode! Once again a huge thank you to all the reviewers, you make me want to do my best!**


	15. Chapter 15

It's a week before he works up the courage to kiss her.

It's not that he fears rejection. He knows... he _thinks_ he knows, how Beth feels about him, that she's just as deep into this as he is.

But part of him feels that things like this, they should be done right. The right moment, the right place - he wants to be able to give that to her. He struggles with it though, to know how he can possibly give her everything she deserves. It's been years now since he's been with a woman, and even before the turn it wasn't like those encounters were romantic, were anything but brief and quickly forgotten. He doesn't know how to do all this, how to be something to someone, how to be her _somebody_. But he's going to try, oh god is he going to try.

It's not like she expects it, he knows she doesn't, knows she'd be fine with it if he was just to walk up one day, plant one right on her lips and that'd be that. It's him that wants to do better, wants to do right by her, so he hesitates and fumbles while she waits patiently for him to get up the nerve.

Nobody's commented on their new sleeping arrangements to him yet. He's not even sure if any of them know except for his flat mates and hers. He'd expected Maggie at least to come up to him when she found out, asking what he was doin' in her little sister's bedroom, but Maggie's not even side eyed him over it. Seems happy enough whenever she sees the two of them together, which they mostly are.

He's not worried about being subtle, doesn't want to hide it from anyone, doesn't think there is anything to hide. So he sticks by her side when they're assigned to work detail together, always sits beside her during their communal dinners, and follows her back to her apartment without fail once it's time to sleep.

How could he not once she'd granted him a taste of it, of what it is like to rest with her secure in his arms, to wake up with her face the first thing he sees? They've remained perfectly chaste despite their shared bed - he won't put his hands where they're not wanted, and he needs that reassurance from her before he can even try.

But a kiss, he knows they're both ready for a kiss, knows that he's been working his way up to it since the time he found her, that maybe she has too.

He's been thinking and planning, but when it finally happens he's not prepared for it at all, hadn't known that he would kiss her until he actually leans across and does so.

It's been a hard week. Morgan has picked one of the nearest towns as his first clearing project, one of the bigger towns in the area that actually has a Walmart, relatively untouched due to the walkers roaming around inside.

Beth, Daryl and Glenn had volunteered to help him set up traps, knowing that the extra supplies can't hurt the community, that maybe there'll be some luxuries as well as essentials there that everyone could do with. They can think of that now, from behind the safety of walls, they can focus not just on surviving but on making a proper life.

And so they've been working to get things into place, setting traps and clearing as they go. It's been hard work, both physically and mentally, and they've earned this afternoon off, to do exactly as they please.

He follows her through the woods, her footsteps light, quiet, as she places her feet carefully to avoid rustling leaves or disturbing tracks. Beth holds the compound bow in front of her, alert and ready for when they find their prey. He couldn't be prouder than he is right then, watching her. She has a quiet confidence in herself now, a surety that she knows what she's doing which can only come from having made it on her own. While he was losing himself on the way to Alexandria, losing pieces every which way, she had been finding herself instead, beginning to understand exactly what she can be.

Daryl knows that Beth's tough, thinks she's tougher than he'll ever be.

Maybe that's the way it had to be, that she had to lose them all before she could find that strength in herself. Maybe that's the way it had to be, but he's never gonna let it happen again, never gonna let her too far out of his sight if he can help it. She might have found her own strength, but just as surely he's realised that she's his, that he can't do without her.

He pauses when she does, waits while she aims the bow and fires, the bolt easily bringing down the rabbit they've been tracking. Beth turns to give him a victorious grin, and Daryl nods in acknowledgement, his lips quirking upwards before she turns to retrieve her prize.

"You were right, Greene, you really don't need me now." Daryl comments, his mind turning back to long ago conversations.

He's expecting a flippant response, but Beth stops in her tracks before she even reaches the rabbit, turning around to face him.

"You know that's never gonna be true," she says softly, taking a step towards him. "It wasn't then and it isn't now. You know that, don't you?"

He know what she's trying to tell him, what they've been hinting at to each other over the past week without ever actually saying the words.

"Beth.." He tries to begin, but it's difficult to get it out, and there she is standing in front of him, stepping into his space, and it's suddenly the easiest thing in the world to lean down towards her, and with one shuddering breath, to touch his lips to hers.

He's not sure if she's been expecting it or not, but at the very moment that he hesitates, pulling backwards to check that it really is okay, she's surging forward, her right hand reaching up to the back of his neck to push his head back down to hers, her lips soft against his and then parting, inviting him further in.

He'd forgotten that there could be such a feeling as this, or maybe he'd never known it to begin with. He knows that he's awkward, that he doesn't have much idea how he should be taking things or where he should put his hands. He fumbles, putting.a hand to her hip, then doubting himself, and moving to pull it away. Beth grabs his hand, placing it back upon her hip again, and pulls herself back to shake her head at him.

"Don't think too much, Daryl." She tells him, and he surrenders then, the permission that he's been looking for finally received. He clutches her waist then, his fingers slipping beneath her shirt to dig into her skin, his other hand coming up to tangle in her hair as he kisses her once again. He keeps it slow, almost reverent, as she bends to him and he to her. There's no hurry, even though the afternoon light is slowly fading, and there could be danger lurking nearby. He finds himself thinking of all the ways he still wants to kiss her, of lips trailing down her neck and the soft sighs she might give.

When they break apart, Beth leans against him, tucks her head underneath his neck, and he can practically feel her smiling. He wraps his arms around her, and brushes his lips against her hair before resting his cheek there.

"I've been waiting for that," she tells him, "I've been waiting so very long."

He holds her tighter.

They come back with two rabbits, slung over his shoulder, and she reaches out and takes his hand as they approach the apartment building. He understands what she means by it, that she wants the others to know, that she wants to show that they've become something more to each other. It would take a stronger man than him to refuse her, and he finds that he actually doesn't mind at all. He's hers, isn't he? Hers to do with as she wishes, and if she wants the others to know that she's his, then nothing could make him prouder.

There's no comments when they arrive that way, hands still clasped, though Michonne gives him a pointed look, and Ash smirks. For the rest of the evening they remain as they are, her hand in his, and when they settle onto the floor to eat their portions of the rabbit, she curls up against him, tucked into his side.

He can spot Carol watching them then, with a soft smile on her face. Maggie seems thoughtful, while Rick pretends not to pay them any mind. The only person who seems upset by the development is Eugene, who mutters under his breath and avoids them both for the rest of the night.

Nothing changes, the earth doesn't shatter, and as simple as that they've become a unit in the eyes of the others, in the same way that Maggie and Glenn are. He wasn't sure what he'd expected - that someone might object, that they'd think he wasn't good enough for her, that there would be some awkwardness once it came out in the open.

He should've known that their family wouldn't be surprised. The way that he'd mourned her, it must have been obvious that he'd loved her, obvious that he would've preferred to die in her place. Just as Beth had been waiting for this, perhaps the others were too, waiting for when they would work things out.

And so he lets himself enjoy it, to enjoy these moments that he's finally earned. Beth isn't overly demonstrative, maybe she guesses how that would embarrass him, or maybe she's shy herself, but they limit themselves to hand holding, and her head leaning on his shoulder, until it's time to sleep.

Once they've moved to her bedroom however, it's a different story. His lips are upon her almost as soon as the door is shut, one hand reaching to pull her closer, the other caressing her cheek, knuckles brushing softly over the scar there. There's no urgency, and he allows himself to linger over her, kissing her slowly, deepening it as she parts her mouth, a small sigh escaping.

He doesn't think he's ever kissed a girl like this before, is surprised at himself that he even knows how to. There's something about Beth that encourages it though, that makes him want to learn her as thoroughly as possible, to take his time in knowing exactly how best to please her.

He's hard and aching, but he knows they're going no further tonight. Even if she were to encourage it he wouldn't, not until they've had time to properly process all this, not until he's absolutely certain that she's ready.

So he parts from her, pulling back so that he can look down into her face, his hand still upon her hip, his thumb absentmindedly rubbing circles there.

"I've never been kissed like that before," Beth tells him, her eyes filled with what he thinks might be wonder.

"Me neither," he admits, "I ain't never kissed anybody like that before, ain't never wanted to."

He tugs her backwards until his legs hit the bed and he sits, spreading his knees apart so that she can stand between his legs. Daryl keeps his hands on her hips, fingers slipping beneath the edges of her shirt to rest against the smoothness of her skin. He keeps his touch purposefully light, his thumbs caressing lightly up and down, but he can't miss the slight shiver that runs through her.

Beth leans down and kisses him, sweetly, oh so sweetly, one hand cupping his jaw, while she runs the other through his hair, lightly caressing his scalp. He leans into her touch, unable to stop the sigh that escapes his lips. It reminds him of a long ago dream from when they were on the road and he believed her dead, of her voice singing him to sleep.

Pulling back, he brings a hand up to grasp one of her wrists, bringing it to his lips to kiss the inside of it, and tilting his head to look up at her.

"Reckon I'm about the luckiest man left alive." Daryl tells her, and her lips quirk in a smile before she bends to kiss him once more. He knows that it's true, knows that in one of those strange twists of fate, he could never have had this if the world as they knew it hadn't ended, if everything they'd been through from that time to now hadn't happened, no matter how bad it was.

"This is us from now on," Beth replies, "This is how we'll live, and no matter what happens, we'll have each other."

It's as close to a declaration of love as either of them is ready for, and for a moment he stares at her, unable to move. He's still holding her wrist and he tugs it closer to him once again, this time pressing a kiss to her palm.

"C'mon, best get some rest before Morgan has us busting our backs again tomorrow." He grouses good naturedly, and releasing her, bends down to undo his boots.

When they're both ready they climb into bed, and with a gesture, Daryl indicates that Beth should turn her back to him, scooting closer once she's done so, his body pressed against hers, his hand warm against her stomach as he nuzzles her neck.

A year ago he could never have imagined himself in such a position, would never have realised the comfort that could be had from such closeness. He's avoided physical touch for most of his life, unable to reconcile it with what he'd known of love and pain, but Daryl also knows that at the same time he'd craved it, hungered for it, burying the desire deep inside him where he wouldn't have to acknowledge it. He's been starved of any type of affection ever since he was a boy, and now that he has it, has her, warm and willing and full of so much love that he could drown in it, he intends to have his fill. He might not be comfortable enough to show it in front of the others, but here in their own room, in this quiet space that is theirs alone, he'll allow himself to do just what he wishes.

"Sing somethin'," he murmurs into her shoulder, before placing a kiss there. There is a moment of silence as Beth thinks before she begins, choosing her song carefully, and then her hand tightens over his where it lies splayed across her stomach, and she begins.

" 'Twas in another lifetime,

One of toil and blood,

When blackness was a virtue

And the road was full of mud

I came in from the wilderness,

A creature void of for,

'Come in,' she said, 'I'll give you shelter from the storm..."

**A/N: a big thank you to the reviewers, particularly to Natercia and CITigerfan who I couldn't reply to! If you have enjoyed this then please do leave a review :) Not too long to go with this story now, I'm estimating maybe three more chapters though I'm not certain!**


End file.
